Between Rest and Sleep
by Lady Jesca
Summary: After Buffy's sacrifice, life changing decisions are made, creating a much different and more gothic Dawn. Using her everything at her disposal, she becomes a one-woman force to be reckoned with. But now her dangerous slaying tactics have brought her be
1. Prologue

Title: Between Rest and Sleep - Prologue  
  
Disclaimer: Dawn and the characters surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not belong to me. They belong to the mind of Joss Whedon. The vampire Edric is my character, though, as is many of the supporting characters of this story. If there is any confusion about what belongs to whom, email me and I'll clarify.:) But I'm not making any dough so please don't try to take my bread!  
  
Rating: PG-13 (angst)  
  
Spoilers: BtVS through Season 5. AtS through Season 2.  
  
Author's Notes: The timeline on this story forks into difference after season five of Buffy. That is the last of the canon stuff. But some notes so everyone knows where I am in this: Buffy died at the end of Season five and never came back. Willow did not resurrect the Slayer and another wasn't chosen until Faith died. Faith is dead as well, although how may come out in the story. As far as if Spike will get a soul or Angel a son, I don't know. The focus of the story is really on Dawn and doesn't take place in either Sunnydale or LA.  
  
Also, it is circa 2008 (I'm going off the assumption Buffy and gang graduated class of '99 then 2001 was the end of Season 5 when Dawn was 15- if I have the math wrong, let me know.;)). Dawn is about twenty-two years old now. So she's of age for nookie and everything else.;) Her personality is very different from how we know her to be, and why will eventually come out in story, but just so I don't get emails, I do know that her personality is quite non-canon.  
  
This story will most likely be full of angst and darkness. I'm trying to capture the romantic despair of vampires as well as bring something different to the Dawn character.  
  
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!  
  
*~*~*  
  
[~2001~ Morning after Buffy's sacrifice.]  
  
The sun rose. Although it was what Buffy had killed herself to cause, it was still a shock when it actually did rise. Everyone was so lost in their own grief that she wasn't noticed for a while and that was fine with her. She sat on the steps of the scaffolding and held the small gashes on her body. It hurt, but the pain was something. It was feeling. It was something that filled the emptiness inside her; the emptiness caused by Buffy's death. She wiped the tears away from her eyes and knew that those would be the last tears she shed borne of true emotion. To cry, one needed to feel, and she felt only one thing: loneliness.  
  
She was alone now. Truly alone. Even as she looked at Xander, Giles, Anya, Willow, Tara, and Spike as he slinked out of the sunlight but still trying to keep Buffy's body within sight, she couldn't feel like she was really apart of them. They were never really her family. They were Buffy's family. They were her support group and her source of inspiration. Dawn felt like merely a tag-a-long; the little sister that no one really wanted around but everyone put up with because of whose sister she was. Was.  
  
Dawn had a family once. Once it was Buffy and her mother. And though Dawn had memories of Hank Summers, she knew that in actuality, she'd never met the man. No matter what her mind told her, she didn't think of him as family. Just the two special women who had done everything they could to protect her. And they were dead.  
  
That night was particularly dark. It was the first night she could remember that didn't have Buffy in it. The clouds rolled in the sky, covering the sparse stars that sometimes shown through. Fat raindrops feel, drowning Dawn's world. There were soft knocks on the door every so often, but if she stayed quiet, they usually stopped. They were worried about her but she didn't truly understand why. Buffy had done it. Buffy had saved her. Something inside her made her believe that nothing could happen to her now.  
  
"They should be worrying about themselves," Dawn whispered to herself. She shook her head and walked away from the window to her radio. She thoughtfully picked up a CD. Rob Zombie. The music was ferocious and full of anger but most importantly, loud. Dawn placed it in the player and turned the volume up. A moment latter strong beats and notes pounded into the atmosphere around her, making it impossible for her to be heard above it. She locked her bedroom door and turned to face the fairly cluttered room.  
  
It wasn't really a decision that she made as much as an instinct she felt. People who got close to her died. She could only remember her mom and her sister, but there were others. The monks that protected her before she became human and was forced onto her family died protecting her as well. She was sure that it wasn't an isolated incident, regardless of what she could or could not remember. And with the deaths of her recent protectors, it didn't look like much of a coincidence. She grabbed a duffle bag from her closet and placed it on her bed and started packing it.  
  
She knew that if she stayed, Giles and the others would do their very best to protect her. And she also knew, just as surely, they would die. Buffy was the Slayer. Giles was a watcher without a slayer and the owner of a retail magic shop. Xander was a construction worker. Willow was a witch, and no doubt powerful, but she wasn't a slayer. Tara knew magic, but not much, and Anya used to be a demon, but now she was as worthless as the others. Spike could probably protect her for a while, but not long. A flash of a memory made her pause as she stuffed things into her bag. Doc coming closer to her and Spike trying to protect her, only to get a knife in the back and a toss down what must have been twenty stories. He was lucky he could still walk. She resumed packing.  
  
When she had everything she wanted from her room she put the bag under her bed and made sure the covers hid it. She crept to her door and put her ear to it, trying to block out the blaring music in her room. She could hear no one. Quietly and slowly, she pulled her door open and peeked out. Seeing the hallway clear, she quickly darted out of her room and into Buffy's, closing the door behind her.  
  
She didn't bother with lights. Instead she went to the chest Buffy kept some of her weapons in. When she opened it, she found it mostly bare. Buffy had probably taken the big things with her to fight Glory, Dawn surmised. Well that suited her fine. She was here for the smaller things anyway. Quickly, remembering to be quiet, Dawn withdrew a few stakes and the knife she knew Buffy had used to maintain their point. She took two bottles of holy water, making sure the bottles were plastic and not glass. At the bottom of the small pile of weapons, something silver glinted. Curiously, Dawn moved a smaller box aside and looked at the dagger.  
  
It looked almost ceremonial. Dawn didn't remember Buffy ever using this, but she felt drawn to it anyway. The sheath of the dagger looked like strands of gold and silver being twisted together to a dull point. The handle of the dagger curved downwards, making it ideal for throwing and giving meager protection to the hand that held the gold hilt. Dawn added the dagger to her mini arsenal.  
  
Standing, she laid the items on Buffy's bed and went to her closet, opening it softly. She grabbed Buffy's thigh length black leather jacket. It was warm and came with leather gloves in the pockets. She grabbed a black cotton scarf and packed all of the weapons into it in case she got caught in the hallway.  
  
As she turned to leave, Dawn spotted the large cross necklace Angel had given to her when they first met. Not pausing to think on it now, she took it and opened the door. Willow was knocking on her door, and Dawn could hear the music still blaring on the other side of the door. Dawn closed the door a little, only peeking out from it as best she could.  
  
"Any luck?" she heard Giles ask.  
  
"No. She won't answer the door," Willow answered sadly.  
  
"Well, either she's being the quintessential teenager and wants to be alone, or she can't hear you with all of that noise."  
  
"Or both," Willow agreed. They both stared at the door and Dawn wished they would just go downstairs.  
  
"What is she going to do?" Willow asked softly.  
  
Giles put his arm around the redhead, leading her towards the stairs. "Dawn's a strong girl. She'll be fine. And we'll all help. We'll pick up where Buffy left off."  
  
"And come to Buffy's fate as well," Dawn whispered to herself while the two descended the stairs. She waited for a few moments before she ducked back into her room, the music nearly slamming her back out into the hallway again when she came in.  
  
Quickly, Dawn threw the stuff on the bed and stripped off her shirt, grabbing a t-shirt and a sweater to put on. She made her clothes dark, so she wouldn't be seen. She slipped her feet into heavy shoes with thick rubber soles. Her black pants were fine, so she didn't change them. She pulled all her long hair into a ponytail and slipped the scarf and leather jacket on. She put the dagger in her bag for now, but put the switchblade used for sharpening stakes in her back pocket and a stake in her jacket pocket. She used the scarf as a hood over her hair and closed the duffle bag, going to her window. She tossed the duffle bag out the door first and waited. When she didn't hear anyone pounding on her door she figured they didn't or couldn't see it. Next she climbed out, slide down the roof little by little until she was at the edge. Grabbing the edge she tried to remember what she remembered in gymnastics and swung down, still holding onto the gutter until her body snapped full length, and then she dropped, so as not to put too much pressure on the gutter itself and cause a noise. She remembered to keep her knees bent and she easily rolled next to her bag. Slinging the bag over her head so that it lay across her back, she took off.  
  
Change was inevitable. She saw that now. Her world was about to change. Everything she ever knew was about to change. And she knew that if she didn't change with her life, she wouldn't have one. 


	2. Part 01

Title: Between Rest and Sleep - Part 1  
  
Disclaimer: Dawn and the characters surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not belong to me. They belong to the mind of Joss Whedon. The vampire Edric is my character, though, as is many of the supporting characters of this story. If there is any confusion about what belongs to whom, email me and I'll clarify.:) But I'm not making any dough so please don't try to take my bread!  
  
Rating: R (violence and some sex)  
  
Spoilers: BtVS through Season 5. AtS through Season 2.  
  
Author's Notes: The timeline on this story forks into difference after season five of Buffy. That is the last of the canon stuff. But some notes so everyone knows where I am in this: Buffy died at the end of Season five and never came back. Willow did not resurrect the Slayer and another wasn't chosen until Faith died. Faith is dead as well, although how may come out in the story. As far as if Spike will get a soul or Angel a son, I don't know. The focus of the story is really on Dawn and doesn't take place in either Sunnydale or LA.  
  
Also, it is circa 2008 (I'm going off the assumption Buffy and gang graduated class of '99 then 2001 was the end of Season 5 when Dawn was 15- if I have the math wrong, let me know.;)). Dawn is about twenty-two years old now. So she's of age for nookie and everything else.;) Her personality is very different from how we know her to be, and why will eventually come out in story, but just so I don't get emails, I do know that her personality is quite non-canon.  
  
This story will most likely be full of angst and darkness. I'm trying to capture the romantic despair of vampires as well as bring something different to the Dawn character.  
  
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!  
  
*~*~*  
  
[~2008~ Seven years later.]  
  
She stood outside in the ally and took a puff of her cigarette. She leaned back against the door she came through and watched the snowflakes fall around her. It was too late for the street to be truly busy and with the snow blanketing the world around her, it seemed deafening silent.  
  
Movement from within the building made her push off of the door and stand away from it. A frayed edge of her leather jacket caught against a nail and she heard a slight tear. She looked down and smiled. The jacket no longer looked new. Small tears like that one accumulated quickly while even a few larger holes had been ripped into it during her adventures over the last seven years. Parts of the jacket were re-sewn with black lace, purple mesh, a green velvet patch. She promised herself that the next large hole would be patched with something the color of gold. That way she'd fit in if she ever went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras again.  
  
The jacket wasn't the only thing to change over the last seven, she mused. She picked up a strand of her hair that blew in the slight breeze. It was still long, only jet black with white streaks and tipped in red. She was as pale as those she hung around with, taking their schedules. Sleeping all day and rising with the dead. The perpetual moonlight made did nothing for her tan and she started to look as pale as a vampire. The filter of her cigarette was ringed with her black lipstick and her eyes were rimmed with kohl. The ruddy look to her cheeks was entirely the doing of nature, though, as she wore no other make-up.  
  
But even as her cheeks were red and her hands were icy, she didn't try to cover herself more. She enjoyed the cold. She had tried other places and had other names. Serena in Canada, Martina in Mexico, Jasmine in New Orleans, Jessica in New York, Hailey in Amsterdam, Sasha in Russia, and Patrice in Jamaica. Jamaica was a trip. She didn't stay long. Only time for one vampire. New Orleans crawled with them, but that was another place that could affect a person's mind. She never stayed anywhere for too long, though, so it didn't matter. New York was the city of the perpetually awake. Russia was too cold. Mexico was not cold enough. London seemed right to her right now. The snow fell peacefully and the cold was biting, but you could still conduct business. And although it got very warm for a few months, it was dreary and cold most of the time. Her kind of place. So now she was Rachelle in London. She rarely bothered with last names, mainly because the people she lived around didn't care about last names.  
  
She heard the door creek open on its rusty hinges and she turned.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing out here? It's fucking freezing, Rachelle," the man shook his head and grabbed his arms.  
  
Dawn just smirked. "Like you have a body temperature, Benny." She puffed her cigarette and blew the smoke into his face. He looked like he'd try something, but she knew he wouldn't dare. He didn't want to mess with who claimed her.  
  
"He wants you."  
  
"I bet," she said, bored. She turned her back to him and looked up, seeming to dismiss him.  
  
"He wants you, now."  
  
She sighed heavily and then turned to face him. She walked over, keeping her smile all the while her eyes started to narrow. The left one twitched a little. She grabbed his jacket, much to his surprise, and pulled him closer to her.  
  
"Then have me, he shall," she smirked and pushed him away, walking in and leaving him behind in the cold.  
  
"Fucking bitch," he muttered.  
  
"Wanker," she shot back, loud enough to make him growl.  
  
The heels of her boots clicked on the hard cement as she walked through the outer rim of the warehouse. As she got closer to the warehouse proper, the floor was covered with carpet and more people could be seen milling around. Soft classical music could be heard throughout this part and the lights attached to the ceiling were all colored. Splashes of green, orange, and yellow covered most parts, but the black paint on the windows ensured no light got in and no light got out.  
  
Vampires in darkly romantic outfits sat chatting quietly to one another. It was different with different vampires. Some of them were in love with being a vampire. They loved the image. They were the Ricers. These are the vampires that after reading Anne Rice decided to go find one and beg the bloodsucker to take them from their mortal dwellings or some other sorry bullshit like that. Looking around, Dawn knew that these were the ones that survived. She mused on how many unlucky bastards asked only to be killed outright or worse.  
  
'When in Rome' was her way of thinking, though. As they dressed in lace and ruffles, so did she. She disappeared into a room, closing the door. It was her bedroom, for now. She quickly changed into a long flowing skirt. It was a thin black material covered in green lace so dark, it almost looked black. She pulled a corset styled shirt out of the makeshift closet and did her best to make it as tight as she could, pushing her breasts up so that they poked out the top of the shirt. It was sleeveless with lacy black ruffles trailing from the bottom of her breasts down to where it tucked into the skirt. Over that she pulled on a heavy crushed green velvet jacket. It had long tight sleeves that doubled in width at the wrists, hanging loosely there. It fastened with a black onyx broach at the breast and feel open to reveal the rest of her body while it trailed down her back and nearly dragged on the ground behind her. She wore the same boots. The ensemble was far from authentic but she knew these "ancient ones" barely saw the 1970s to know anything about the 1370s.  
  
She powdered her face and the top of her breasts with a finely fragranced white powder and swept her long hair into a green mesh net, fastening the net to the back of her head with a jeweled beret. She wiped off the black lipstick and replaced it with a flat red color. It accentuated the curve of her lips nicely. She retraced the black around her eyes and drew the pencil out flamboyantly, tracing a curved line to her hair from the corner of each eye. She purposely left her neck bare and a red-jeweled teardrop was stuck under her right eye to complete the look of a goth fit to be the mortal lover of leader of this vampire clan.  
  
Walking with a sure seductiveness, Dawn made her way back out to the guests. She exchanged coy looks with the men and women who looked her way, her eyes always holding a hint of promise. Many of the members of the clan looked away for respect of their leader, but a few bold ones held the look until she bowed her head and looked away. Before she reached him, she could hear the silky voice of her lover.  
  
"Darling, you kept me," he said with the subtle flair of his eyes. There was a tinge of yellow there but she did not look at him with fear, only with a tantalizing smile that promised much.  
  
"I am sorry m'love. Your man, he kept me." She slinked to the side of the chair he sat in. It was a makeshift throne for a makeshift king of a make believe empire of gods. It was adorned with furs, making it seem more luxurious than it was. Dawn leaned down to kiss the vampire. He only offered his cheek to her so she let the tip of her warm tongue lick up the side of his face, only barely touching him enough to send a shiver up his spine. She knew he craved the warmth only she could give him. She straightened, looking him boldly in the eyes for a moment before leaning against his chair to receive the looks of her guests.  
  
She saw many looking her way. It was a common occurrence at a party like this. Many of them could smell her blood and wondered why a mortal was allowed to walk among the blessed ones. It was all she could do to smile enchantingly at them as they droned on about holy days, feasts, coming rituals, and boring parties like this one. But patience wasn't a virtue it was a skill. A skill she had to learn early on to survive not only life or death situations but also boring gatherings of 'blood kin'.  
  
As she looked out over the myriad of faces with a knowing smile, she let her left hand idly play with the fabric on her lover's shoulder. He seemed to enjoy the attention she paid him, and when he took her hand she smiled down at him.  
  
"Tonight is a special night, my darling. Do you know why?" His eyes bore into hers and she tried to look as taken with him as she could.  
  
"No, why?" she asked, feigning curiosity.  
  
"Because tonight we make you one of us." He watched her closely for her reaction.  
  
Shit. She had been afraid of this. Good thing she had planed to kill him tonight anyway.  
  
Her eyes widened and a full smile came to her lips. "Really?" said in a reverent tone.  
  
"Oh yes. You have been a loyal woman to this clan. It is time you took your place as its queen."  
  
She knelt down beside his throne, her hand cupping his face. A few of the vampires around them watched, chuckling lewdly. "This is a special night, then. Will you be the one?" she asked shyly, turning her face downwards.  
  
"Of course my dove. I would not trust such a task to any other."  
  
"So then this party is for me?" she asked as if it were her greatest aspiration.  
  
"And none other," he whispered kissing the inside of her hand.  
  
Dawn did her best to seem giddy with excitement. "Now?" she asked hopefully.  
  
He chuckled deep in his throat, causing those around him to also chuckle.  
  
"Looks like your bride is ready, Victor," one of them said loudly.  
  
"So it appears," he said silkily. After a moment of looking into her eyes he nodded. He broke the look to signal to his crew to escort the guests out. Without another look he regally stood and offered his hand to her while she still knelt. She took his hand and stood, falling into step beside him.  
  
When they entered the bedroom, she closed the double doors behind her. He turned to her and she smiled as she made her way to him. She unfastened the heavy velvet cape and let it fall to the floor and unveiled her hair. Her neck, shoulders, and arms were completely uncovered. Her skin slightly pimpled from the cold air that surrounded them. Vampires had no need for heating, and therefore the only warmth she could find came from clothing or blankets. Not that she minded much.  
  
His eyes seemed hungry as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a passionate kiss. His hands went around her waist, made tinier by the corset styled shirt. She moaned into his mouth and broke away.  
  
"I feel like some gothic princess who has finally found her king. Take me into your life and make me of your blood," she said passionately as she kissed him again. He responded to her, his hard body rubbing against hers as they embraced. After the moment he shoved her onto her back on the bed and she lay sprawled there, her skirt climbing up to her knees. He jumped down to land in between her legs and she wrapped them around his waist, pulling him down as she lifted her pelvis. He moaned and started to kiss her breasts, pulling them from the corset top to cover them with his mouth. She writhed under him, pulling his head to her breasts with one hand as she deftly reached for the stake she had planted under the bed. She pulled it loose from the tape that suspended it and quickly plunged it into his heart.  
  
As if flicking off a light, Dawn stood up and brushed herself off, quietly dressing in her own clothes. Tight black jeans, her boots, a tight fitting long sleeved sweater of dark red, her leather jacket, and her various weapons expertly hidden throughout the room. When she finished, she quietly slipped out into the warehouse and took care of the rest of the gang, one by one.  
  
*~*~*  
  
She fished the key out from inside her boot where she kept it taped to the upper part of the toe. That way she always knew where it was, but no one else did. Those people who had an annoying habit of checking footwear for money or anything of value never found it and therefore her anonymity was kept nicely.  
  
Closing the door and locking the many mechanisms after her, Dawn threw her leather jacket onto the back of the chair just to her left. It was a simple apartment. To the right of the front door there was a tiny kitchenette with the smallest stove and oven she had ever seen. The refrigerator was shorter than she was and she had two pantries. One held a few cooking and eating items while the other held her dry foods. Usually she didn't keep anything in the refrigerator except soda, when she could get it. She was rarely home enough to make it worth her while.  
  
The front door opened into a room, the style of a hotel room. To the left of her sat a small round table and two chairs. They came with the room. The rest of the room was empty of furniture, although a regular occupant might put their living room there.  
  
Also to the left of her was the bedroom and bathroom, which together was almost as big as the living room. The bed that was in there was compliments of the owner as well. The bed was still unmade from the last time she slept here. Frankly, she didn't care. She stripped off her boots and her pants and sat on the bed, pulling off her stockings and throwing them in a corner with the rest of her clothes. She shook dust out of her hair and onto the ground.  
  
She went back into the living room for a moment and retrieved from her jacket pocket a small glass vial. She found a whole load of these little bottles with miniature corks in the necks to keep the contents in. On a piece of duct tape Dawn wrote Victor III and set the bottle, with a sampling of his ashes on the dresser, also rented along with the room. She placed him right behind Victor I and Victor II. Victor was a very popular name for vampires now-a-days, apparently. She grabbed a box and flipped the radio on while she was up and then dragged the box to the edge of her bed. She leaned down and grabbed a good medium sized tree branch and started whittling it down to a stake.  
  
After she finished the stake she tossed it into another box across the room, smiling when it deftly landed within the box walls. Her eyes glinted off of something on the bathroom counter and her eyes widened. She rushed into the bathroom and snatched the large cross necklace off of the counter, fastening it to her neck instantly. She looked at herself in the mirror, surprised that she had failed to remember her own ritual. It was the first time.  
  
She had taken to wearing the necklace anytime she wasn't on the hunt. It had become sort of a symbol of something to Dawn. When she was free from obligation she wore this necklace. But she knew she never wore it for long. Soon another vampire will take the place of Victor III just like he had taken the place of the vampire before him and she will take the necklace off again, only to don it when that vampire died.  
  
After a moment of staring at herself in the mirror, Dawn removed the rest of her clothing and slipped into the shower, letting the warm water play over the cuts and tired muscles of her body. The vampires she slayed tonight were not tough, but they were plentiful and a few got a few good scratches in. These burned under the water, but Dawn didn't care. She liked the burn. She liked the hurt. Pain was the only involuntary feeling she could have now.  
  
Wrapping one of her two towels around her long hair and the other around her body, Dawn walked to the kitchen and pulled a warm V8 out of her cupboard. She popped the can open and drank it until it was done. Shutting off the lights and the radio, she crawled into her bed, wearing only the towel on her head and the cross necklace. Something poked her soft skin and she rolled over and shoved wood chips and dust particles off the edge of the bed before settling to sleep.  
  
Her body was definitely tired enough to fall right to sleep, but she didn't let herself drift right away. She listened to the sounds of her apartment, getting used to them again. She had spent nearly a month with Victor III and his cronies. It had been hard to gain his trust. Most vampires would kill a girl who walked in so brazenly and declared herself his. But she had been watching Victor III for a while and knew that he would go for that sort of an introduction. Ever after that she had to repeatedly prove her worthiness and willingness to serve him. It was tiring. She much preferred the vampires that would make her fight for her place beside him, as opposed to simper and scrape to do his bidding. But vampires, like people, came in all different flavors.  
  
European vampires tended to be very different from the ones she had encountered so often in Sunny California. The vampires she saw in California, and in some other parts of the United States, often employed the kill now and ask why she was offering herself later method of dealing with things. There was very little art to the kill and it was tiring. She kept herself in good shape, but she was only human. She developed a more covert way of getting close to the vampires and taking out small clans of them while she was in Europe. The vampires here seemed to be more refined but infinitely more bored. They constantly were hunting for amusement or entertainment of some kind and a young goth willing to place her body in their hands was too entertaining to ruin by instant attempts at feeding.  
  
She had been living in this part of town for almost a year, which is quite a record for her, and in that time she had done away with twenty vampire clan leaders and numerous clanlings. All twenty were properly represented by their own bottle of dust. Some of the vampires had been easy prey, but most of them each made her play a different role, make a different Dawn. Normally she went by Rachelle or Rachael or something like that around here. But she hadn't really gotten much of a reputation because the vampires she killed were generally small clans and she killed every one of them, not daring to come home until they are all found. Although they wouldn't be able to come into her dwelling, the vampires here were much more dramatic and rather than stomp their feet until an hour before dawn and take off for cover, they'd burn the place down and try to catch her coming out.  
  
Sometimes she could get a clan finished off after a few weeks and sometimes it took longer. She had thought this job was going to take much longer, until she heard about the masque. It was being whispered throughout the world of the vampires that a great vampire prince was coming out of seclusion to attend the masque. That intrigued Dawn very much. To meet vampire royalty, as it were, would be fascinating. She wondered to herself how long a job like that would take.  
  
Victor III had been looking forward to the masque. It was going to be his opportunity to show off his newest acquisition, her. He had been bragging to anyone who would listen about his prowess drawing a human beauty to him like a "butterfly to a flame". She knew she had stayed in London long enough after that started to happen. She planned to kill Victor III and his group and find a new place to call home. Too many vampires who still walk London has seen her on the arm of Victor III and that meant she would have a harder time of convincing them to trust her, especially if they couldn't find old Vic. But the masque seemed like a perfect opportunity to give London a parting shot before she left. Whatever vampires recognized her before wouldn't after she dressed properly and kept her mask close to her face at all times. And she would wear something that they wouldn't expect her in, hopefully. She still had no idea what to go as. But when she had heard about the masque, she knew that it was time to kill Victor III. It wouldn't do to go to a vampire ball in the hopes of finding a good vampire to kill while still having her old vampire on her arm. So Victor III was destined to become dust.  
  
Dawn yawned and stretched her lithe body. Slowly, she drifted off into the oblivion of sleep. 


	3. Part 02

Title: Between Rest and Sleep - Part 2  
  
Disclaimer: Dawn and the characters surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not belong to me. They belong to the mind of Joss Whedon. The vampire Edric is my character, though, as is many of the supporting characters of this story. If there is any confusion about what belongs to whom, email me and I'll clarify.:) But I'm not making any dough so please don't try to take my bread!  
  
Rating: R  
  
Spoilers: BtVS through Season 5. AtS through Season 2.  
  
Author's Notes: The timeline on this story forks into difference after season five of Buffy. That is the last of the canon stuff. But some notes so everyone knows where I am in this: Buffy died at the end of Season five and never came back. Willow did not resurrect the Slayer and another wasn't chosen until Faith died. Faith is dead as well, although how may come out in the story. As far as if Spike will get a soul or Angel a son, I don't know. The focus of the story is really on Dawn and doesn't take place in either Sunnydale or LA.  
  
Also, it is circa 2008 (I'm going off the assumption Buffy and gang graduated class of '99 then 2001 was the end of Season 5 when Dawn was 15- if I have the math wrong, let me know.;)). Dawn is about twenty-two years old now. So she's of age for nookie and everything else.;) Her personality is very different from how we know her to be, and why will eventually come out in story, but just so I don't get emails, I do know that her personality is quite non-canon.  
  
This story will most likely be full of angst and darkness. I'm trying to capture the romantic despair of vampires as well as bring something different to the Dawn character.  
  
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!  
  
*~*~*  
  
Random vampires were a good source of cash. They usually had some on them and as long as she could pick their pocket before the dusting, it was hers for the taking. She spent the week before the masque acquiring enough cash to buy herself a decent costume.  
  
She had thought for a long time about what she was going to go as. It was a masque where mostly vampires and children of the night would be going. Although 'children of the night' was often a euphemism for vampires, Dawn though it more encompassed people like her, or at least like whom she portrayed herself to be. They were those humans that knew of vampires and were addicted to them and wanted to be around them any time they could. Most of them wanted desperately to be chosen by a vampire and be made. Dawn loathed most of them. But they suited her purposes in that they made her seem a bit more normal when she did offer herself to a vampire.  
  
More likely than not, most everyone would be going goth in one way or another. Those without imaginations would be going as various vampires or historical figures thought to be vampires. There would be many Vlad the Impalers there, although some of them might attempt calling themselves Dracula rather than Vlad, and if they did right by the costume it might go over well. Others would go as vampires from books. There would probably be a Ricer or a wannabe going as Akasha or Enkel. Isis and Osiris were popular. Heavily gothed-out people sometimes just obtained a masque and went as themselves. Boring. Although Dawn really liked her goth look, she certainly didn't want to go as herself. A morbid part of Dawn thought it would be funny to go as the Slayer, but she knew she wouldn't leave the party alive if she attempted that. Still, it made her chuckle as she sat alone in her apartment, whittling stakes.  
  
Her purpose for going was to catch the attention of this Demigod, the Prince. How better to do that than to be a princess? At first she thought that perhaps a goth princess would be cool, but she knew that everyone would be working goth into their costume. Looking the part of a true princess might be enough to stand out among the rest of the beautiful people that will be attending.  
  
She set out to find the costume and found this wonderful small boutique that specialized in costume parties. Not only did they loan the costume but they created the look. All she had to do was go to them, pay the outrageous price, and they would turn her into an authentic looking 13th Century princess. It was good enough for her. After it was completed she would find ways of hiding her weapons on her. She had hand sewn leather sheaths and fasteners into most of her clothing, making it possible for her to wear her sister's dagger that she was hardly ever without, or a stake. She would just have to figure out something for the dress.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Having no television, the radio was really her only entertainment. She had it on anytime she was in the apartment usually listening to the harder metal or punk music. Sex Pistols always made her think of Spike, which was bitter sweet. Of all of the people she left behind, he was the one she could look back on without feeling too much sadness. She was sorry not to have his company, but she knew that he would understand her new lifestyle.  
  
But when Rob Zombie managed to make the radio, Dawn was always struck silent. She remembered the way she shut all of the people who had loved her out of her life and sometimes pondered what must have happened after they realized she was gone. Sometimes she would make up the scenario in her head. Giles probably discovered it first. Rob Zombie must have driven him to madness as he flung open her door demanding to an empty room that she turn that 'blasted noise' off. Afterwards he probably called to the others who helped him to a house wide search. Then, leaving Anya at the house in case she came back, they scoured the town while Spike checked the underground. Giles probably consulted his books on the possibility of the energy drying up and going away once the key was not used. Then they probably noticed some of her things gone. Willow probably noticed Buffy's necklace gone. She wondered how long they searched before they had given up. She wondered if they had ever given up.  
  
She shook herself out of her reverie and rose from the bed to switch the radio off. Looking back only meant that her focus was not on the here and now, and that could be dangerous, whether she was locked in her apartment or out on the prowl.  
  
As soon as the music was off, Dawn thought she heard a small noise in her hallways, not far from her door. It sounded like a shuffling of some sort and she reached for her dagger and a stake, holding one in each hand. A moment later there was a knock on the door.  
  
Dawn waited, standing stone still in her bedroom. She had never received visitors in her apartment and had gone to great lengths to keep this place out of the notice of her work. That someone was knocking on the door meant she had failed in that. But she had no intention of opening the door to a stranger. If they wanted in they could break the door down and she'd take care of them herself.  
  
She stood tense as another knock came. But finally footsteps could faintly be heard going down the steps away from her apartment door. Dawn waited a few more moments before letting herself relax. Someone knew she was here. She was suddenly even happier that she'd be leaving London next week.  
  
A course energy raced through her body and she felt the need to hunt. Anxiety was building in her and the quickest way to relieve it was good sex or a good kill. So she dressed for either. She slipped on a pair of black fishnets and wore over that a pair of jeans that were so full of holes it almost wasn't worth wearing. She shoved her feet through her boots and put on a sheer black long sleeved shirt that rather looked like nylons for the body. It had definitely seen better days as the arms were freckled with holes. Over that she tugged on a black t-shirt with a picture of a franken- girl on the front. She attached her dagger the fastener on the inside back of her t-shirt, put a stake in her leather coat pocket, and took her cross off. She let her hair cascade around her, putting on her usual make-up: black lipstick and eyeliner. She grabbed her jacket and a new pack of smokes, heading out of the apartment cautiously.  
  
She was aware that someone could be staking out her place, so she went out to the parking lot and left that way. She figured if this person had been watching her, he or she would know that she doesn't own a car and might not bother to keep it under watch. And if it were only one person she had a 2/3s chance of not coming out of the exit that was being watched. As it was, Dawn didn't think she was being followed so she took off down her usual streets, looking for a good place for some action.  
  
Had she been in the world of the living the last month she probably would have heard of the small fair that looked to be taking place. She heard as group of teens speak about it as they passed by her and she followed them down to a closed off section of streets where music could be heard. Excitement ran like electricity currents through the air, infecting anyone near with exhilaration. The fair wasn't large but it was big enough to sport belly dancers, games, small rides, plenty of boutiques, and quite a few stalls serving hot food and cold beer.  
  
People were packed within the booths and various entertainments. It was a vampire's hunting heaven. Dawn was careful to look like someone enjoying the sites as she instead looked around to alleyways and dark spots, looking for lurking vampires. Out of a tent that had a sign that said "Fortune Teller - $2" came a man with skin so pale the light around him was reflected off of his face. She watched him slink around behind the tent and a moment later a young girl came out looking very conspicuous as she tried to appear as if she were just going for a stroll around the tent. Dawn rolled her eyes. The girl was such easy prey she considered letting the vampire have her and remove her from the gene pool. But with a resigned sigh she made her way to the fortune teller's tent.  
  
Instead of heading around the same way the vampire and his meal went, she darted in between a few other tents that made a semi-circle as they were lined up close together. From there, Dawn could see a small grove of trees that were enshrouded by the darkness of the night. She heard a few twig snapping noises as she quietly snuck around a few trees.  
  
The sound of struggling came as soon as Dawn passed by a few rows of trees. The sucker had taken her deeper in than Dawn would have thought he would. Drawing her stake and shedding her coat silently, Dawn sprang in on the two.  
  
The young girl who had followed the vampire in here was standing beside him, their backs to Dawn. But a glimpse of her profile told Dawn that they were both vampires, luring in a prey. It took a moment, though, before she realized she wasn't the intended prey. As the vampires turned towards her, Dawn caught sight of a girl of about seventeen years old.  
  
"Get out of here," Dawn said as she got ready to fight the vampires. "I'll take care of them."  
  
The girl didn't seem to respond, but Dawn wasn't exactly waiting either. Instantly she shot into action, kicking out to hit the female vampire in the head as she punched the other in the face, catching him by surprise. The punch seemed to knock him back a little so Dawn focused on the other vampire, who charged her. Side stepping the vampire, Dawn brought her fist down hard on her back, sending the vampire sprawling. Quickly, Dawn jammed her stake through the back of the girl's heart, dusting her.  
  
She heard the footsteps a moment before a large hand grabbed the back of her neck and sent her flying towards a tree. Dawn slammed against the thick base of the tree and flopped to the ground with a groan. She turned around in time to see the vampire charging to finish her off and she rolled quickly, tripping him. She looked around, realizing she had lost her stake and had only brought one. This is going to hurt, she thought to herself as she drew the dagger.  
  
The angry vampire growled as he charged her. She purposefully looked unsure of what she was about to do and was in truth a little worried about facing a vampire this big without a stake. But she was surrounded by trees and so she knew she would have to do something. Letting the vampire get close to her, Dawn kicked her leg up high, catching him under the chin with a kick that sent some of his teeth spewing out of his mouth and she used the momentum of her foot to back flip away from him, looking around for her stake or something that would work. She saw nothing and looked up to face the vampire again. He stood there, dazed for a moment and just as Dawn was about to make use of his indecision, he dissolved in a cloud of ash leaving the girl Dawn was rescuing behind him.  
  
Dawn looked at the girl with widened eyes. She did not look as scared as she did when Dawn first burst into this grove. As a matter of fact, with the stake in her ebony hand, she looked like a slayer. She tossed Dawn her stake, twirling the one she used to kill the vampire before putting it into her pocket.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked Dawn. She took a few steps forward, approaching with caution. Her dark eyes showed confusion and some recognition. Dawn got the idea that she knew who her visitor was from this afternoon.  
  
"I'm no one you want to know." Dawn turned to leave the girl, but she stepped into Dawn's way, making her narrow her eyes.  
  
"I don't think so, not until you answer some questions for me," she said, self assuredly. Dawn almost smiled. Almost.  
  
"Look, little girl, I don't have time for this. Get out of my way before I remove you." Dawn knew she didn't have slayer strength to match this girl if she was a slayer, but she was hoping that it wouldn't come to that.  
  
Quick as lightening the girl tossed something to Dawn, and she caught it deftly. Her eyes flickered from the girl to the cross in her hand and then back to the girl. This time she did give a dark smile.  
  
"You think I'm a vampire?"  
  
"Hard to tell. Looks like you haven't seen the sun in a few years."  
  
Dawn said nothing but threw her cross back at her and then opened her hand, palm out, to show the girl that there had been no burning.  
  
"I'm April," the girl said by way of introduction. "I'm a -"  
  
"-vampire slayer, I know," Dawn finished for her.  
  
April's eyes opened wide with shock. "How did you know that?"  
  
"Not important. I'll be on my way now." Dawn turned again to leave, and this time the girl didn't try to stop her.  
  
"Wait, I want to talk to you," she said, catching up to Dawn. Dawn sighed. This she did not need.  
  
"Look, I don't care that you're the vampire slayer. I hope your luck doesn't run out and may you kill many vampires. Now go off and do your duty."  
  
"Wow.someone's got issues."  
  
Dawn walked into the fortune teller's tent. No one was there except for a middle aged woman dressed like some kind of a gypsy.  
  
"Your friends won't be returning," Dawn said, crossing her arms in front of her. April followed her in and looked confused. The fortune teller, however did not look confused. Angry, perhaps; scared, oh yeah, but she knew exactly what Dawn was talking about. "I suggest you close down early for the night and take your business elsewhere."  
  
"What are you doing?" April whispered. Dawn tensed up. She was not used to someone following her or questioning her, especially when she was trying to be intimidating.  
  
The gypsy looked from April to Dawn. Dawn kept her narrow-eyed gaze on the woman and leaned down, putting her hands on the small table with the fake crystal ball on it. The woman nodded and stood up, promptly packing her belongings. Dawn nodded and stood, tossing the table aside and breaking the crystal. The woman's angry and astonished look was met with a cool stare.  
  
"Only warning," Dawn warned.  
  
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" the slayer said. Dawn grabbed her arm and jerked her outside. April yanked her arm away and glared at Dawn. But the seemed confused when Dawn stopped dead in her tracks and smiled.  
  
Heading towards them in a suit of tweed was a wiry looking man with glasses and a book in his hand. He screamed watcher. It was so familiar to her that she almost thought she saw Wesley. She shook the nostalgia from herself though and met the man with an icy stare.  
  
"April, good heavens, where did you get off too girl?" He looked at Dawn and his eyebrows raised. "I see you've found her."  
  
"Kind of," April said sheepishly.  
  
"Well, I'll leave you to your.stuff. Have a nice life," Dawn said, lighting a cigarette and heading away from the two.  
  
"See here," said the watcher, "we've been trying to get a hold of you."  
  
Dawn kept walking as if she either didn't care or didn't hear. When his hand touched her elbow to turn her around, Dawn had had enough. Quickly, she reached back and grabbed his arm, flipping him around quickly so that he would have to turn a circle or lose his balance and fall. When he rotated, she pushed him back with her foot on his chest, making him fall on his ass. April charged her and she quickly round-housed her, not holding back her strength because she knew the girl could take it. Still, she tripped over her watcher and fell. The crowd around Dawn and the other two widened and eyes were on them all. She knew she wouldn't get anymore hunting in tonight.  
  
"Don't follow me and don't try to find me again. I may not be as you first thought, but I am dangerous enough."  
  
April looked frustrated. "We only want to talk to you!"  
  
"Well I don't want to talk to you," Dawn said, loosing her patience. "I want to be left alone!" Dawn turned around and stormed off through the crowd. Her expression was dark and people made a path for her as she tried to find the edge of this madness and escape the fair altogether. Unfortunately she hadn't counted on the tenacity of the present slayer. Dawn could feel her before the girl approached her. She could feel herself being tailed. She surmised that she would draw less attention to herself if she just dealt with the slayer and her watcher and sent them on their way.  
  
Inwardly she knew she was a little afraid of talking to this girl. She didn't want to know what happened to Faith to activate this girl. She didn't want to get close to anyone and she certainly didn't want Giles to track her through this watcher. Taking a deep breath she stopped and turned around.  
  
"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"  
  
April looked a little surprised as she came out from behind the dumpster she was using for cover. The alley they were in was dark enough, but Dawn knew there were vampires not far and could not risk her reputation by being seen with the slayer.  
  
"Honestly, we just want to talk to you. After that you can tell us to bugger off and we will. But we need your help."  
  
"I've already told you to bugger off. It doesn't seem to work." Dawn crossed her arms in front of her. "You want to talk, fine, but not here. Grab your watcher because I don't want to have to have the meeting more than once and meet me at the café around the corner from where you sought me out earlier today."  
  
April nodded and smiled. "Thanks."  
  
Dawn just watched her impassively until April stopped smiling like an idiot and turned to get her watcher. Once she was gone, Dawn climbed up the fire escape of the building next to her and disappeared. She did not need to be tracked and so she used the extra time she knew she'd have to make sure that she wasn't, to the best of her ability.  
  
When Dawn got to the café, the couple was already there. Unceremoniously, she dragged out the empty chair and sat before the watcher could even make an attempt at standing out of courtesy. He looked surprised and then looked at April. Dawn could see that he thought her abrupt and rude but she didn't care.  
  
Dawn stared at them while they stared at her. They seemed to be hoping she would start the conversation and Dawn felt like reminding them that this was their board meeting. Instead she just stared, and found herself staring mostly at the slayer and thinking about how young she looked. Her brown curls were pulled back by a black hair tie, keeping it off of her smooth ebon skin. Her cheekbones were high and her eyes were dark. She rather reminded Dawn of Olivia, but she of course said nothing about that.  
  
"Ah. Well, this is awkward," the watcher started out by stating the obvious. Dawn just raised an eyebrow at him. "My name is Garret," he said, holding a hand out to her. "And you already know April." Dawn just looked at his hand and sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"Man, can we get on with this?"  
  
"What should we call you?" he asked, frowning at her outburst.  
  
"Raquel."  
  
April smiled. "That's lovely."  
  
Dawn gave her an uncomfortable smile, not really knowing how to deal with the compliment. "So.you said you needed my help?"  
  
"Yeah. I suppose you probably wondered how we found you." Dawn said nothing so April continued. "Actually we were heading over to take care of a nest of vampires when we saw you leaving the nest. You left nothing but dust. We thought," she looked at Garret, "that maybe you were a slayer."  
  
Dawn smiled a little. "No. I'm no slayer."  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you could explain yourself then," Garret asked, looking genuinely interested.  
  
"Beauty of my life is I don't have to explain myself to anyone," Dawn said and lit a cigarette. She ordered a café au lait from the waitress and looked up at the night sky. The air felt cool too her and she was glad they chose a table outside the stuffy building.  
  
Garret looked frustrated. "What I mean is, are you a vampire hunter, then?"  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"I did say that. Would you say that?" he asked.  
  
Dawn narrowed the eyes. "Yeah."  
  
"Well, I'm kind of doing a big gig this week and I thought the more the merrier," April said. "I might need your help."  
  
"Define gig."  
  
"Well," the slayer leaned forward conspiratorially, "later this week, as I hear tell, there's a masque. A masque for vampires." She smiled and leaned back. Inwardly, Dawn groaned.  
  
"Really," Dawn said, trying not to seem like she cared. April just nodded and when Dawn looked at Garret he was just watching her. Dawn rolled her eyes and sighed. "What do you want me to do about it?"  
  
"Help us get in," Garret said at once.  
  
"Do you realize how many vampires will be there?" Dawn hissed to them. Garret said nothing and April just shrugged. Dawn's eyes widened. "You're one person." Still no real reaction. She looked at Garret, knowing he was the person in charge of this duo. "You can't let her go, she'll get slaughtered."  
  
"Precisely why I need you."  
  
"If you think I'm going to some vampire ball to play commando girl, you are dead wrong. And if April goes in there to do the same, she'll be just dead."  
  
April looked faintly uncomfortable about the talk of her death so Dawn switched tactics. She looked straight at April. "There will probably be hundreds. No less than fifty clans and many more small groups that don't even merit the name 'clan'. Then there will be the humans. Humans will flock to this kind of a thing in the hopes of being chosen to be a vampire." Dawn leaned forward, "And the rest will likely be the buffet." April paled considerably. "This is no small private party you're wanting to crash in on. How many vampires have you killed at once?"  
  
"Five," April said, sounding a bit proud of the number, but still highly effected by what Dawn was saying.  
  
"Five whole ones?" Dawn said sarcastically. "What possible good do you think it'll do to go to this masque?"  
  
"Rachel," Garret said, highly irritated at this point, "April is the slayer. I don't know if you know anything about what that means, but a slayer's job is to hunt and destroy vampires. It is her birthright and her duty."  
  
She knew she shouldn't react to that because doing so would likely tip Garret off about her knowledge of slayers, but she couldn't help herself. She stood up, putting her hands on the edges of the small round table they were sitting at and leaned close to him, obviously threatening.  
  
"I know plenty about slayers and their birthright," she sneered. "I know that they always think they are superior to everyone else because they have super strength and super speed and super healing. But they end up super dead pretty quickly and the new slayer is chosen to make the same mistake. Slayers are no better than a bunch of cowboys. They think they're invincible and that they should martyr themselves 'for the good of all humanity'. Well, I'm not going to help another slayer die!"  
  
She stood up straight, wishing wholly that she could take back the last of what she said. Garret's surprised look told her that she had said way too much. She reached into her pocket and took out some money for her untouched café au lait. She glanced at a very shocked April before she turned and left, going for a walk before she headed home. First she let a slayer trace her to her home. Second, she made a scene in the place she was hunting. And now she had linked herself to a slayer. She didn't want to top her list of stupid things that'll get a person killed by going straight from the café to her apartment.  
  
As Dawn walked the darkened alleyways and streets of London, she felt her anger radiating off of her. Who the hell did they think they were? That slayer was just going to charge in like some hero and get herself killed. Didn't she ever watch movies? The hero ALWAYS got killed. It's what the hero did. That was the whole purpose of a stupid hero, to go and try and get killed until the time they actually do!  
  
Dawn wanted desperately to erase the young, hopeful face of the new slayer from her mind. She desperately wanted to push away any thoughts of Faith and what might of happened to her. She desperately wanted to kill something right now.  
  
The sound of glass breaking in the alley she just passed by made Dawn stop. She looked around her on the street and saw no one. It looked deserted. Quietly, she slipped into the alley and drew her stake. She could faintly hear the sound of scuffling ahead of her but she kept herself from sprinting ahead. She cared more about not dying than saving the life of the victim. If she could kill the fiend, that was good enough for her.  
  
As if on cue, the moon peeked out through the clouds, illuminating the scene before her. A young man was slowly slumping to the ground as a vampire drank from him. Unfortunately for Dawn, when the moon popped out, it caught a hold of the design on her shirt like a black light to neon. The vampire didn't seem concerned though. He let the man drop to the ground and looked at Dawn with a slight smile. She could see remnants of blood on his lips, but other than that, his face was clean.  
  
"Either you're dessert, or you're the new slayer I heard about."  
  
Wonderful. Like she needed this. The thought of the slayer being killed by this thing made her stomach turn.  
  
"I'm neither. Just death to your kind."  
  
"Ah. I see. A vampire hunter. How.quaint. I thought your kind died out."  
  
"Not until your kind do." Dawn got into a fighting stance, intent on killing this thing.  
  
"Well, I suppose you're too late." He kicked the now-dead victim.  
  
"Nope. You're the one I came for. Not him."  
  
The vampire looked a little surprised. "Really? You didn't come to save this 'innocent soul'?"  
  
"No such animal."  
  
"Ah, that is so true."  
  
Quicker than she's seen any vampire move, the thing in front of her was suddenly behind her and he quickly grabbed the hand she had her stake in, and her neck, immobilizing her with both surprise and the way she was held. Still, she struggled against him, refusing to give up.  
  
"Well, this is not looking good for you. How long have you been a hunter?"  
  
"Long enough."  
  
"Obviously not." He chuckled softly in her ear. Her neck was slightly turned and he leaned his head down so that his lips barely brushed her as he spoke. "How many vampires have you killed?"  
  
"I honestly couldn't tell you."  
  
"No fear," he said as if impressed. She just clinched her jaw, which he could feel with his hand where it was. "Very impressive, child. You seem quite upset though. Angry. I like that. It gives me hope for your kind."  
  
"What do you care about 'my kind'," she bit out, indeed angry.  
  
"Well, plenty, actually. Besides the obvious thing that all vampires care about, I used to be one of you. It's nice to know that there are humans of strong character, since I was once one. It is especially nice to find one that is so brave without being the slayer. Slayers are brave because they have to be. Hunters, though, usually get their bravery from something else. Vengeance is a popular source. Do you kill for vengeance?" He kissed her neck, making her fight more. "Do you kill for vengeance?" he asked, his voice harder.  
  
"No."  
  
"No. Hm. Well, anger is another good source. Do you kill for anger?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, that is interesting. What do you kill for, Hunter?"  
  
"Fun," she said and laughed. He laughed along with her seemingly delighted at her answer.  
  
"Well, you're just a predator like me, aren't you?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
There was a moment of silence when he just held her. Finally, realizing she wasn't getting free of him, she stopped fighting to save her energy and to think of a way out of this. She was starting to think he might not kill her. If he were going to kill her, he probably would have already. Her mind started working.  
  
"That surprises me, Hunter. Usually those who kill us would balk at being compared to us, and I've certainly never heard of one who admitted to being similar. Usually hunters deceive themselves into believing they are better than those they hunt by virtue of being different than those they hunt. But I can smell that you have already killed tonight and that if you were to get free you would try to kill me as well. Yet you acknowledge that you are nothing but a hunter just as we are hunters. Have you ever met a vampire you didn't kill?" he asked, sounding very curious.  
  
She thought for a moment about whether to answer honestly. Finally she said, "Yes."  
  
"I believe you," he said softly. He placed another kiss on her neck and shoved her forward so that she landed sprawled onto the floor. When she turned around, he was gone.  
  
Dawn sighed and shook her head. The best thing she could do right now is go home before she got herself killed. She obviously was not in top form tonight. 


	4. Part 03

Title: Between Rest and Sleep – Part 3

Disclaimer: Dawn and the characters surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not belong to me. They belong to the mind of Joss Whedon. The vampire Edric is my character, though, as is many of the supporting characters of this story. If there is any confusion about what belongs to whom, email me and I'll clarify…:) But I'm not making any dough so please don't try to take my bread!

Rating: PG-13 for potty mouth and violence

Spoilers: BtVS through Season 5. AtS through Season 2.

Author's Notes: The timeline on this story forks into difference after season five of Buffy. That is the last of the canon stuff. But some notes so everyone knows where I am in this: Buffy died at the end of Season five and never came back. Willow did not resurrect the Slayer and another wasn't chosen until Faith died. Faith is dead as well, although how may come out in the story. As far as if Spike will get a soul or Angel a son, I don't know. The focus of the story is really on Dawn and doesn't take place in either Sunnydale or LA.

Also, it is circa 2008 (I'm going off the assumption Buffy and gang graduated class of '99 then 2001 was the end of Season 5 when Dawn was 15—if I have the math wrong, let me know…;)). Dawn is about twenty-two years old now. So she's of age for nookie and everything else…;) Her personality is very different from how we know her to be, and why will eventually come out in story, but just so I don't get emails, I do know that her personality is quite non-canon.

This story will most likely be full of angst and darkness. I'm trying to capture the romantic despair of vampires as well as bring something different to the Dawn character.

Thank you to everyone who has written me, even though it's been over a year since I've updated. This continuation of the story is for you.

Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!

NOTE! For whatever reason, isn't allowing me to use the regular characters that denote a new section. So I am using a 1234567890 separator. Sorry for any confusion.

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Invitation only. The words flitted to her from the pub she sat in, watching the two girls in front of her. Lesbians, she guessed. They hadn't stopped touching each other in one way or another since Dawn spotted them. Both of them were intent on meeting real vampires. Dawn shook her head.

The two looked like they were going for a sugar and spice type of combination. One had long jet-black hair that matched her fingernails and every other bit of paint on her. The other had shorter white hair. Her make up was all glitter and faint colors, but still managed to look goth. It was striking. Dawn sat at a booth, her back against the wall, her ankles crossed on the table beside her as she watched them. The girls talked as if they didn't realize they were being overheard, but from Dawn's vantage point, she could hear them just fine.

"Where's the invitations?" the dark one asked.

"In my back pocket. I haven't let go of them since they came," the other smiled serenely.

That was Dawn's cue. She stood up and went to the bar, just behind the one in white and ordered another beer.

"Mmmm," she heard from beside her. Dawn glanced over and saw the darkly dressed girl smiling appreciatively at her. Dawn gave the girl a very flirty smile. In response the girl leaned forward and entered into a very languid and sexy kiss with her partner. Dawn wasn't sure if that was an invitation to interrupt or to stay away. Didn't really matter.

When her beer came, she took a drink of it and openly stared at the girls. After a moment of watching, they stopped and the black make-up girl nodded her head to Dawn. The white make-up girl turned and eyed Dawn critically. Dawn just silently drank her beer but her eyes never left the black make up girl.

"If you want her, you have to go through me," the white make-up girl said and leaned back to break the eye contact between Dawn and the other girl. Dawn's eyes focused on the girl in white and smiled. She drained the rest of her beer and nodded. Without a word she grabbed the girl by the back of the neck and pulled her into a very ardent kiss. The girl kissed her back, and held on to Dawn's arms, almost as if to try to steady herself. Dawn plunged her tongue into the other girl's mouth and swiped it over her teeth, making the girl shiver. As quickly as she had started the kiss, she ended it, throwing herself from the girl, and almost pulling her off the barstool.

The girl panted for a moment and nodded. "You win."

Dawn chuckled. "And what do I win?"

"Her," the white dressed girl said.

"Or her," the other said.

Dawn looked between the two of them, as if trying to decide. "It would be impossible for me to choose."

The girls smiled to each other and then to Dawn. "Well, you don't have to choose." The invitation was evident. Dawn smiled and put some money on the bar for her drinks and grabbed her coat from the booth she was at. The girls also paid for their drinks and Dawn left with them.

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She didn't need both of the invitations, but she felt she owed the girls something. Keeping them away from the vampires would be enough, she thought to herself. She brought the invitations back to her apartment, keeping them under the bed. As a bonus, if she happened to lose one, she'd have another.

Dawn flipped on her radio and went to her bathroom to shower. When she was finished, she opened her medicine cabinet and grabbed some aspirin. When she closed the mirror she saw with some shock that the window above her bed stood wide open. Dawn wrapped the towel tight around her body and walked out. She grabbed a stake from the stake box and made her way to the radio. She shifted the music off so that she could hear throughout her apartment. She quickly checked the small space she called home and found no one. She shook her head.

She often slept with the window open. It was cold outside, but under her blankets she felt nothing but warmth. She liked waking up with her cheeks pinkened by the cold and the rest of her body smothered by her blankets. It was dangerous, to be sure. The window led to the fire escape. Anyone who could grab the ladder could walk right into her place. But vampires weren't allowed and anyone else she felt reasonably sure she could take. She realized she must have left it open and pulled it closed, locking it. Her eyes shifted downward and for a moment she thought she saw something. But nothing was there.

"I'm getting jumpy," she said to herself. It happened, but she hated when it did. It showed fear and weakness. She couldn't really handle either right now. She forced any thoughts concerning this event out of her mind and went back to getting ready for bed.

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Dawn blinked at the sunlight and yawned. She wasn't usually up this early, nor was she usually out in the sunlight. She didn't bother with making herself up today. She had just pulled her streaked hair into a ponytail at the base of her skull and tucked the tail inside her leather coat. Grabbing everything that was hers, she packed her stakes, her clothes, and other belongings. She gently packed each bottle of dust in between the clothes so they wouldn't be broken. She secured the tops with even more tape so they wouldn't spill, as well. Making reservations at a high end hotel, she quickly scribbled down some information from the phone book, put the rent on the table along with the key and left her room for good. Quickly, she made the trek to her new hotel. She looked around at the people on the street, almost uncomfortable at how many there were. When she traveled these ways at night there wasn't usually so much traffic.

People pushed their way past her on occasion and she had to remind herself not to go for her dagger one of the times when she almost fell on her ass. Still she got to the hotel to check in and later to the costume house unscathed. When she came to the quaint shop, she stepped inside. She was thankful for the shade and the cooler interior of the shop. Few people were there.

The owner of the shop saw her and smiled, making his way to her.

"Ah, Miss Hawthorne," he greeted. She nodded to him. "I trust you're here to pick up your dress and accessories?"

"Yeah. So, let's see it," she said cutting to the point so quickly his smile almost faltered.

"This way."

He lead her into the back room and she instinctively looked from side to side before stepping through the door. She then rolled her eyes at herself. She was going to have to act like a true lady at the ball. If she checked every corner and kept reaching for her weapons, the vampires were bound to suspect _something_.

When she rounded a corner, pushing aside some hanging dresses that were sticking out into the walkway, Dawn's eyes settled on an exquisite masterpiece replica of exactly the kind of gown she was looking for. Her breath hitched and she couldn't help but stare. She wasn't normally given to caring about things as frilly as dresses, but this one made even her appreciative of its beauty. The dress was mainly white, but it was accented with gold thread, braids, and a silk gold skirt that went under the actual gown.

"Oh, James, you've outdone yourself," she breathed out. She looked his way and could tell that whatever he may have thought of her abruptness before was gone in the shared acknowledgment of the beauty of this piece.

"It is what you wanted, then?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She was inclined to play. "Yes, definitely. And the shoes?"

"Harder to replicate, I understand the need for comfort but the style isn't quite right. Still, the dress should cover them most of the time. Try not to hike your skirts up too much and people should only glimpse them."

She smiled a little at his words and nodded when he showed her the soft leather shoes that were dyed white and decorated with gold. They were a cross between a boot and a dress shoe and she inspected them and found that they'd likely be comfortable for the whole night and would allow her to run if she absolutely needed to. She looked over at the other accessories and inspected them as well.

She gave him directions to the hotel she'd be staying in and he assured her they'd be delivered after the afternoon tea. She nodded and thanked him, paying in cash. His eyes widened at the clump of bills, but he didn't complain or question where she got them. She left him a hefty tip that sealed his lips and quieted any doubts about working with her.

Making her way back to the hotel, Dawn stopped in a salon and with a little dismay she had her hair dyed back to its natural color. While there she let the over-enthusiastic lady work on her nails. Dawn resisted glaring at the woman when she admonished her for the obviously shoddy state she kept them in. After that torture was over, Dawn retreated to the luxury of her hotel.

If someone tracked her from the hotel to the masque, or if someone were to track her back, she wanted to appear as if she had a lot of money. Her purpose for doing so was to throw them off when the next place she moved to was a dump, should she be hunted. All bets were off when it came to vampire royalty. While she'd never killed one calling himself a prince of vampires, she had killed demigods before and there were always loved servants that wanted revenge for the death of their master. She hoped they wouldn't follow her to this hotel, as she didn't want to put the people here in danger, but really her focus was on killing the vamps and living to kill another day.

When she got to her room she immediately saw her packages on her bed and smiled. She took the time to lay out the dress so that it would not wrinkle. She grabbed her duffle bag from under the bed where she stashed it before and locked it into the safe that was there for her convenience. It might not be much, but she didn't want it taken.

After everything was put out, she went to the phone and grabbed the paper from her back pocket. It held a number from the phone book of a woman who made house calls and would make her hair and make-up look more authentic. She would cost a pretty penny if they accepted pennies in England. Still, she wanted to look hard core so she needed to dish out the dough. As long as she had enough to get her to the next destination, she could care less what the woman would cost her. When the appointment was confirmed, Dawn laid down in on her living room couch. She immediately shut her eyes and drifted off, preparing for the night ahead.

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Dawn bolted upright and breathed heavily. She waited for it again. The knocking sounded at her door and for a moment she thought the Slayer had tracked her. Her memory suddenly focused and she remembered the woman she had ordered. She bolted over the side of the couch and flung the door open. She peeked around the side and saw a woman carrying what looked to be mini suitcases walking away.

"Hey!" Dawn hollered. The woman turned, surprised. "I was in the other room, sorry," Dawn apologized. Suddenly the woman's face lit up and she made her way back to Dawn.

"I am Angelique, your designer."

Dawn wondered briefly if her name really was Angelique, or if Angelique was a good name for a designer, but she quickly pushed those silly thoughts from her mind as she held the door open for the woman. She had dark strait hair that was pulled severely from her face and was held in a bun. Her make up looked flawless and outlined her sharp cheekbones and blue eyes nicely. Her lips were thin but the way the lipstick was applied to them made them look fuller. Angelique was dressed in a very pretty blouse and a long skirt. It wasn't exactly fashionable, but it was functional. Dawn moved aside to let the slightly plump woman through.

"I've got the dress on the bed, I'll need you to help me get into it."

"Of course." She made her way to the bedroom and gasped when she saw the lovely gown. "Oh, Miss Hawthorne, it's gorgeous."

"Thanks. You can call me Raquel," she said. The woman nodded but didn't take her eyes off the dress. She put her things down on the ground next to her and advanced slowly, almost as if afraid to touch it. "You might as well touch it," Dawn said with some amusement. "You'll be forcing that bad-boy onto me."

The woman chuckled and let her fingers play over the fabrics. "It is lovely. And it'll fit your frame quite right, I should think."

"So…where do I start?"

The woman snapped upright and gave Dawn a hard look. The woman's hawk-like eyes inspected her hair, her face, and her body. She seemed to note everything about her. "Your nails have been done. Your hair too?"

"Yeah, I just got it dyed. It was black and streaked with white and also had red in it. I thought this would be more appropriate."

"Indeed," she said, seeming to have some trouble picturing Dawn's goth look. "Well, first is a bath. Sit." She indicated the vanity chair and Dawn sat with little grace. "Tut, tut, you must have better posture than that if you hope to survive a night in your corset," she said grabbing Dawn's shoulders and pulling her out of her slouch. Dawn's eyes widened but she said nothing. She wasn't used to people grabbing her like that unless they were looking for the pointy end of a stake, but she resisted any violence or even jerking away.

Angelique pulled her hair back into a ponytail and quickly made a bun, pinning it into place with various pins. Afterwards she grabbed a shower cap and placed it over the hair. "That should hold your mane in place," she said. She opened one of her cases and grabbed a few bottles and a jar of something Dawn couldn't recognize and disappeared into the bathroom with them. A moment later Dawn could hear the bath being run. She almost chuckled at how seriously this woman took 'full service.' Instead she got up and wandered in just in time to see the woman empty the jar of what looked to be dried flowers and wood chips into her bath.

"What's that for?" she asked. Dawn's face was crinkled in confusion.

"The roses will perfume your skin naturally and the sweet cedar has been treated by rose oil, which will do the same." She poured some oil into the bath, "Some rose oil, just to make the bath water soft and luxurious. Now, step in there, but don't get your hair wet!"

Dawn nodded and started to undress. She didn't even wait for Angelique to leave. She'd long ago forgotten what it was to by shy. Angelique seemed surprised at her lack of modesty but acted professionally as she waited for Dawn to slip in to the bath and soak. But Dawn could feel the other's eyes on her and finally she looked over her shoulder to see what she was staring at. There was a look of horror on Angelique's features as she stared at Dawn's back. Slipping into the bath fully, she leaned back to hide the scars she carried.

"Do you play sports?" Angelique asked sheepishly, seeming to realize she had been caught staring.

"In a matter of speaking." Dawn let her fingers trail in the water. "I live a dangerous life."

"Of that, I can tell." She took a hold of Dawn's arm and narrowed her eyes in an almost painful grimace as she looked over the ragged scar that went from her shoulder to the middle of her bicep. There was another just under the arm. Dawn gently tugged her arm away from the woman and looked away.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked quietly, sitting on the side of the tub.

Dawn shook her head.

"Is this why?" she asked, waving her hand in the general direction of the scars, even though Dawn was not looking directly at her.

"No. No one I loved did this to me," she said with a softness she didn't recognize. She looked up at Angelique and noticed the very motherly way in which she peered back. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't really want to talk about the scars. They're no big deal."

Angelique nodded a little and stood, going into the next room. Dawn could hear her rummaging around in her suitcase and the woman reappeared shortly after with three large candles. She lit the candles and placed them around the bathtub. She turned the light out and gave Dawn orders to keep as much of her skin submerged as long as she could. Dawn only nodded. She laid her head on the rim of the tub and closed her eyes. This was the most relaxed she had felt in a long time.

Usually it didn't suit Dawn to let herself get relaxed. Especially in a hotel. Her temporary ownership of this space would not protect her against vampires who might have an inkling of who she was. Like the vampire who nearly killed her. She could almost feel his breath on her neck as he held her immobile. She hadn't thought about it earlier, but now she thought about his blond hair that fell past his shoulders and the blue of his eyes. He could be enjoyable before she killed him.

Her eyes opened. She should not be thinking of him like that. He was far too dangerous a vampire to toy with. He was one that was best to kill straight away if possible. Besides, he already knew she was a hunter. Unless he was suicidal he probably would sooner kill her than try to trust her. She didn't believe he was suicidal, though. He was probably a Ricer with a Lestat fetish, given the way he wore his hair.

Angelique walked in the room and Dawn put the vampire out of her mind. She had no idea how long she'd been laying there, but she felt very rested, which was probably for the best since she'd likely be staying up all night to night and she woke earlier than usual.

After getting out of the bath and drying off, Angelique started dressing her. First came a cool cotton undergarment that was soft against her bare skin. She was given delicate stockings that she pulled over her legs, feeling, in spit of her self, very feminine at the moment. Instead of putting the rest of the dress on, Angelique took some time to brush out Dawn's long hair. She took a warmed iron and made her hair curl beautifully. She took her time, but before Dawn's eyes, her hair started to look fuller, curlier, and was eventually pulled back away from her face at the sides and was pinned very loosely to the top of her head. Some of the hair was long enough that after pinning, it still spilled down her back a little and Angelique encouraged that, spraying the do until she was confident it would stay. The hair that streamed down her back was braided loosely, the braid heavy and fat with the full hair. A gold ribbon that was edged in white was threaded through something that looked like a needle and was interwoven into her braid. Over her hair a veil-like headdress was placed. A gold band cut across the top of her forehead and the thin, nearly see-through material it was attached to was pinned so that it fell down over her hair. It didn't fully cover her braid, though. Dawn almost wondered why it would matter what her hair looked like under the cover, as long as there was a cover. She faintly thought she probably could have gotten away with her old dye job.

Next, makeup was applied. A fine white powder was applied to Dawn's face, neck, and the top of her breasts. Her eyes were accented with a faint glittering gold under the lids and fake eyelashes were used to make her eyes look even more distinctive. Her cheeks were given a healthy dose of rouge and her lips were made a pale rose color. Dangling pearls were fastened to Dawn's lobes. Dawn barely recognized herself. After she was done, Angelique bade her stand so that she could put the rest of the components of the dress together.

First she helped her into the soft leather boots, zipping them up the side of Dawn's ankle. There was the corset, which was pulled very tight and Dawn had to concentrate to get her breathing where it should be. The corset made her posture perfect and she felt as if she were pushing her breasts out far in front of her. A skirt of lace and hoops was fastened around her waist. The skirt did not fall against her legs, but rather flared out to create a wide ring around her legs. Moving in the hoop skirt was easy, but sitting was difficult. Angelique showed her some techniques she could employ to sit in the thing, but Dawn figured she'd be doing a lot of standing at this masque.

Around her waist a strange looking piece was tied. It looked like little pillows that were rolled up at her hips and she looked confused to Angelique.

"They will make your hips look fuller."

"Don't girls usually want their hips to look slimmer?" she asked.

"Not back then, they didn't. They valued the hourglass frame. Large round breasts, large round hips, very tiny waist."

"Freaky people," Dawn muttered and watched as Angelique gently picked up the gold under dress. It was gently slipped over her head and it fell gently over her frame falling a few inches past the bottom of the hoop skirt to obscure her feet all together. The sleeves were long and tight around her wrist. She wondered how she was going to fit a stake there. Or anywhere for that matter. Her dress wasn't exactly conducive to slaying.

When Angelique picked up the very delicate outer dress, Dawn could see the awe she held for the garment. It was beautiful, Dawn had to admit. The squared collar that was slightly high over the back of her neck and wide so that it fell over her shoulders and around her breasts, was trimmed in white fur. The fur trim ended at the bottom of her waist where the dress split to let the gold of the under dress come through with ease. The skirt of the dress flowed over each side from her hips to the floor and the material was very light. Instead of adding weight to the dress, it almost seemed to detract from it. The material was the same nearly transparent stuff that made up her headdress and she was sure it was this way to allow the gold undertones of the dress underneath to shine through. The skirt was hemmed with gold braiding and the embroidery on the dress was all the same gold thread. To further accent the gold, a very long gold chain was wrapped around her waist, one end slipping through the other like a belt. The gold chain hung down the front of her, the whole length of the hoop skirt, but not as long as the dress itself. Poofy sleeves of the same material were fastened at the shoulders and they fit looser and fell just slightly past the backs of her hands.

Moving her hands back up to the headdress, a series of gold chains were fastened at the little hoops in front and behind her ears. The shortest chain was fastened closest to her ears and the next largest went through the hoops just past, and so on, until all three were there. The same was repeated on the other side. When Dawn moved her head, she felt the chains gently slap the side of her face and she could hear the slight jingle as they hit one another.

"No body would recognize me in this thing. I almost don't need a mask at all!" Dawn said, obviously pleased.

"Ah, but what is a masque, without a mask," Angelique said as she gently fastened the gold mask that was trimmed with white ruffles to the headdress and the bottom chain that hung over her ears. This dress was perfectly designed for a masque and made it so that Dawn's hands could be free instead of having to hold the mask to her. She was surprised, but her lush lashes and glittering gold under the eyes was made very pronounced by the mask. It was almost like covering half of her face accentuated that half rather than obscured it.

Perfume was applied not only to Dawn but to various parts of the dress, ensuring that it would linger. It mingled nicely with the gentle scent that clung to her skin from the bath.

"You are finished," Angelique said with satisfaction. It's hard to think of you now as a tall thin rail with little hips. Look at you," she said and Dawn did. Angelique was right. Her hips looked full and her waist was tiny. Her breasts were full and made to look very large by the corset. But then Dawn started evaluating other things. There was no necklace or anything to cover her throat. She liked that. It would be enticing to whomever she killed this night.

"I am excited for you," Angelique said with a smile. "I feel like a mother who is anticipating her daughter's coming out ball." She started to pick up after herself, not noticing the far off look Dawn got at the mention of the word 'mother'. "Do you have a date for this event?" she asked.

"No. I'm going alone."

"Well you will definitely come home with someone," she said, a twinkle in her sparkling blue eyes.

"That's the plan."

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Dawn was glad she picked a hotel close to the building that would be hosting the masque. She did not want to tire herself out by merely showing up. The dress, after having it on for a while, seemed heavier and she was slightly worried about what would happen if there was a fight. She knew that if she slipped off the hoop skirt, moving would become easier, but the dress would become longer and might easily tangle in her legs. She was having second thoughts about the wisdom that lead her to decide to go with something so confining when she'd be in a ball room full of vampires.

She had managed to fit two long and thin stakes in between her breasts and down the front of her corset. Because her breasts were pushed together, they were easily obscured. She was able to fit the dagger in her boot and her purse would hold a few stakes as well. The challenge was to make sure the wood of the two stakes didn't clink together too much. She managed to fasten to the inside of her hoop skirt a cross that was sharpened at the end, making it also a stake. But other than that, she could not better equip herself. With as many vampires as she was expecting she would have liked to have more, but she figured that she'd have to be careful not to let her stakes disintegrate with the vamps if she did get into trouble.

It was probably best to hope for no trouble at all.

She heard the instrumental music from outside the ballroom and she smiled. She didn't mind her nervousness showing a little, but she tried to pass it off as excitement. She took from her purse the invitation she held and waited quietly in the short line of people waiting to get in. A few people were being turned away because of no invitations and she recognized Sugar and Spice, her friends from the bar. Dawn's first thought was to hide her face, but then she realized she was well hidden from them in her disguise.

"We did have invites," Spice growled. "Just talk to Marcus, he'll remember us," she insisted.

"I'm sorry but I can't leave the door unattended," the vampire said with little emotion. He took someone else's invitation, looked it over and nodded, giving it back to them and allowing them in. The girls just stood there, looking like their lives were about to end because they could not get in. Dawn stood beside them for the moment it took for the doorman to check her invitation. The word Marcus was emblazoned to the top of the invite and Sugar looked her way, eyeing the other woman who appeared to be invited by the vampire that invited them. Dawn did not return her gaze, instead looking at the vampire. She kept her breathing easy for those few moments, conscious of the fact that if she started to breath heavily, her breasts would heave and it would be very noticeable. But the vampire eventually gave her back her invitation and let her in and Dawn left the dejected girls still trying to convince the vampire to let them in.

Inside the ballroom was decorated eloquently gothic. She noticed with some amusement that crosses were affixed to the walls, high up, so that no vampire would be caught unaware, but so that they would have their affect. The carpet around the dance floor was lush and her skirt rustled as it brushed it. The dance floor itself was large and reflected the light and shadows of the people moving across it. The lights were moderately bright and the tones of the room were gold and ivory. She fit in very well.

It was as she thought with the costumes. Many tried to replicate Vlad or Dracula, there were some that were straight goth with something that resembled a bat over their eyes to make a mask. Many looked like goth princesses, with big poofy gowns that were shredded at the bottom and combat boots were fitted to their legs.

She wasn't the only person who had thought to try to go authentic 16th Century, but she did it better than those she saw. Many of them made their own gowns, or pieced together outfits to try to give their gown legitimacy. But she had been careful to look as if she had some money behind her and she knew she accomplished that. She got a lot of complimentary looks and some looks of pure jealousy at her attire. She smiled and bowed her head to the people who smiled her way and was careful to keep her posture perfect and to keep the demure smile on her face as she made her rounds, letting everyone see her.

There were a lot of vampires at this gala and a lot fewer humans than she had originally anticipated. She thought the place would be crawling with them, but there were far more vampires with vampiric dates than with human ones. She was glad there were few humans to get in her way or to be hurt, but she was not glad that the lack of humans made her stand out more. She caught many of the hungry stares at her collarbone and throat, but she only smiled mysteriously at the vampire who eyed her like a buffet and moved on. In normal situations, Dawn could often feel when someone's eyes were on her, but in this environment there was never a time when she didn't feel someone looking at her.

At the first opportunity she was asked to dance by a vampire dressed in a mix of 13th and 16th Century garb with a cape that fastened at his shoulders and fell down his back. She accepted and tried to mimic his graceful steps, admitting that she did not know the older dances very well. He was a perfect gentleman and helped her to remember the steps to the dance and engaged her in some conversation, but after the dance was over, he was replaced by another vampire.

The dancing was beginning to take a toll on her. She was growing increasingly nervous and antsy in anticipation of the prince vampire arriving. While dancing with the third vampire, she caught sight of the vampire she had met the other night in the alley, watching her as she danced. Dawn averted her eyes, hoping he didn't recognize her. She was starting to think that trying to give London this big a parting shot was a bad idea. If she had more time, she would have trained herself a little better. She would have enrolled in dance classes. She would have made sure her dress would support weapons. But she didn't have that kind of time and she couldn't stay in London much longer.

Dawn looked towards where she last saw the vampire and he didn't seem to be there. She looked around, trying to locate him, and she found him on the other side of the dance floor, still watching her. He had a smile on his lips that made her feel certain that she'd been made.

After the dance, she politely refused the next and used a fan that she had around her wrist to fan herself gently. She used it, also to obscure the rest of her face as she glanced over to the vampire who was staring at her. His long blond hair had been brushed down and pulled back at the nap of his neck by a ribbon. His calves were clad in bright white tights that disappeared under charcoal gray pants that were tight just under his knees. His white shirt was ruffled at the cuffs and the neck. He wore a vest and a jacket of the same charcoal colored fabric as the bottoms. His fingers were adorned with jeweled rings. He had a mask, but it was really a joke of one. Thin gold bands encircled his eyes and fastened behind his ears, almost like glasses. The mask spiked at the top and bottom of the rims, though, fitting perfectly to his face as if made for him. She could easily see it was the vampire she encountered earlier and she made a decision to avoid him until the prince was announced. If the prince was too difficult to get close to, she would try to take this creature, but she didn't want to compromise her ability to meet vampiric royalty if she could help it.

Finding her way back on the dance floor, she found she was far more comfortable with the steps of the dances, now. She was careful to look demure but not like she was coming onto the vampires she danced with. She wanted to look unattached. Therefore she didn't dance more than one dance with any partner. When her dance partner delivered her back to the edge of the dancing, she felt someone touch her elbow. Turning her blue eyes met the eyes of the vampire that she was trying to avoid.

"You are a vision," he said, bowing his head. She politely curtseyed and cast her eyes downward.

"Thank you."

"Might I entice you to the dance floor?" he asked, his voice a purr passing his full lips in a languid way. She found herself watching those lips for a moment before meeting his eyes.

"I find myself quite tired from the dancing I've already done. Perhaps later would be better."

The vampire looked mildly shocked and she got the feeling that he wasn't used to being refused. Amusement crept into his eyes.

"You will not dance with me?"

"That amuses you?" she asked, surprised by his reaction.

"Very much. I hope that you will change your mind later in the night," he said bowing again to her. She smiled mysteriously at him and turned, making her way away from him. She thought she had shaken him when the next dance came and she was asked to dance again. She was surprised by this partner as she was sure he was human.

"Do you come to these things often?" he asked her. His voice was deep and pleasant to listen to.

"Not too often," she said with a smile. "I am certain that my body would reject the binding clothes if I went too often."

"The dress and the era looks like it was created for you," his eyes burned into hers. His level of attention startled her.

"Thank you. I will be sure to pass my compliments off to the dress maker."

He smiled to her. "I come to these things often. I am humbly looking for companionship that will span time." He pulled her a little closer, making her wonder if he had truly asked her to dance because she looked like a vampire. "Do you look for the same?"

She smiled a little. "I do not make plans that far into the future," she said.

There was a flash of a dark suit behind her dancer and suddenly they were stopped.

"May I cut in?" she heard, her eyes meeting the vampire from before. She resisted the urge to press her lips together tightly in frustration. When was this guy going to get the hint, she wondered to herself.

She hoped her dance partner would object, but he didn't. He merely gave her a longing look and handed her off to the interfering vampire.

They resumed the dance and she observed the pleased look in his eyes.

"You are quite determined, aren't you?"

"Certainly not, I was just rescuing you from the gentleman with the roaming hands." His amused smile lit up his eyes.

"I don't know how women of this period knew their dance partner's hands roamed, as I can feel nothing under so many layers of clothing," she said with a smile.

He chuckled and twirled her towards the center of the floor. "I believe he wanted you to make him," he said.

"And I doubt his statement about going to these masques often. Obviously he cannot tell the vampires from the humans."

"Obviously," her partner said with a smile.

She smiled and turned her eyes downward. Her heart thumped louder than she wished it would. She couldn't tell if this vampire recognized her or not and she wished he wasn't at this party, even while she found herself comfortable in his arms.

"Tell me about yourself."

Her eyes came back to his. "There isn't much to tell."

"Of course there is. You have a lifetime of stories to tell me," he smiled and she couldn't sense any predatory actions from him. He seemed genuinely like he'd love it if she'd start confiding in him. But that wasn't going to happen.

"There's really nothing of interest to tell."

"Are you here to find yourself a mate, as your other partner was?" he asked.

"No," she said plainly. She could tell she sparked his curiosity and she wished she had said yes to shut him up.

"So why are you here? To be food?"

"Are those my choices?" she asked, uninitiated.

"No fear," he said in merely a whisper. The music ended and she tried to pull away from him, but he held her tightly. Their eyes locked together.

A loud voice boomed near the band and she tore her eyes from her dance partner when everyone turned. He let her go and turned as well.

"Thank you all for coming. As most of you know, this is a nice to celebrate, indeed. It is not everyday we have royalty among us!" he shouted and applause broke out in the room. The vampire seemed very theatrical in his outfit, seeming to be mocking the image of the vampires in the early picture shows. "It is my pleasure to recognize Prince Edric von Lasiter, of the vampiric kingdom of Necropolis." He clapped as a very bright spotlight fell to her dance partner.

Her eyes widened a bit and she backed away from him, politely clapping with everyone else. He smiled and waved his hand around. His eyes pierced Dawn's one last time before he made his way to the front of the room. She looked around to see if anyone else had been surprised by his presence when she saw something that took her breath away.

Standing not far from her, oblivious to the danger was April, the Vampire Slayer. She was dressed in an awful array of gothic clothing. Her hair was spiked out, her eyes were painted thickly with black liner, and her lips were dark black. Her trim body was in a corset blouse and a ripped up skirt, complete with the scruffed up combat boots. She stuck out like a sore thumb. Even those who dressed goth in this place generally dressed up, but she seemed to not realize that the vampires who came here would be treating this event seriously. Dawn could already see the looks April was attracting from nearby vampires.

Only an idiot vampire slayer would dare what April did and Dawn wondered how the doorman could stand to let her in.

"Thank you all for honoring me by coming to my party. This night is special to me because it is an anniversary to the night I was made," Edric said silkily, his eyes roaming the crowd. "I see many humans here tonight. Many who would wish this to be the night they were made as well." Some of the humans clapped, but she didn't. She looked towards April and recognized that the slayer determined Edric to be her target this night. Dawn was temped to leave her to it. The stupid girl deserved what she would get, she thought to herself. It wasn't as if she hadn't tried to warn the stubborn slayer, she reasoned. Besides, Dawn knew she was coming dangerously close to being recognized by Edric, if he hadn't already recognized her so escaping this nightmare didn't seem like a bad idea. But she couldn't leave the slayer here alone.

"Cherish these last moments," she heard Edric say. "Many of you will be human no more." His eyes touched hers and her chin came up proudly. If he decided to kill her, she would not go without a fight. "I, too, may choose a companion this eve. One never can tell."

The news brought audible gasps around the room. Dawn knew there'd be plenty of humans vying for this vampire's bite. Perhaps he just set the trap that would keep him from her, she thought with some hope. She watched as some of the humans made their way forward, hoping to catch Edric before he could get back to her. She smiled, moving easily to the back of the room.

She thought about going to talk to April, but she knew some of the vampires were eyeing the slayer with suspicion. Dawn knew she didn't need that suspicion turned her way as well. She passed by many excited vampires as she moved around the room, trying to be elusive to Edric, but also keeping the slayer in sight.

"He's thinking of taking a mate," one said eagerly.

"You're already made, Victor. He wants a human."

Dawn smiled a little at the mention of Victor. Victor IV.

"Hey, it never hurts to hope, right?"

"Depends on if you're wasting your time or not. He'll choose a human. Someone he can mold into his own. Surprising, though. He hasn't wanted a mate since the Slayer."

That made Dawn stop in her tracks. She took out her fan and tried to look as nonchalant as possible.

"Yeah well, he may get himself another," Victor said to his companion.

"You think she's dumb enough to come here?"

"Little twit attacked a couple of vampires at the carnival the other night. Was lucky I wasn't there, she was."

"I heard about that. Didn't she have a friend with her?"

"You think there could be two slayers again?" Victor asked with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"Well don't wet yourself, mate. No, I expect there's jut the one."

"I wasn't going to…"

Dawn made her way from the two vampires, not bothering to listen to the rest. It didn't surprise her that the vampires knew of the fair. There were probably quite a bit of vampires there. The hunting at a fair was plentiful and people were typically in the mood to be a little less careful. She also wasn't surprised that vampires knew the slayer had a friend helping her. She knew she had made quite a spectacle of herself that night. It was a bad night full of unfortunate events. Perhaps tonight wasn't the night to repeat them, she thought to herself as she headed towards the exit. A little voice inside her head tried to ask if she could really just leave the slayer. She stopped.

April reminded her of Buffy. Arrogant. There was a belief that because a girl is a slayer she's better at capturing and killing vampires. Dawn had already killed more vampires than some slayers ever accomplished. It would take her a while to break her sister's record, but she planned to—without the 'super powers'. She had warned the slayer not to show up, but she went ahead and did it anyway. She knew that the slayer was too green for something like this, even if Dawn stayed to help her. All she could really accomplish by staying to help the slayer is perhaps jeopardize her own ability to be a hunter, or her own life. What good would that do, she asked herself. Someone needed to be around to ride the world of vampires when the slayers were too stubborn or stupid to realize that to live to fight another day is smarter than to throw your life, she stopped dead in the middle of that thought.

Her eyes closed to keep the emotion from surfacing. This was not the place for this, she knew, but thinking about a slayer throwing their life away only made her see her sister's swan dive to death.

From her left, Dawn saw vampires grouping up at the same time as she heard the unmistakable sounds of violence. April.

"Fuck it," Dawn said under her breath. Reaching under her dress she fumbled for the strings that tied the hoop skirt to her. It fell to the ground and she quickly stepped out of it, grabbing the cross-stake before abandoning her anonymity. Running into the fray, she pressed the cross against the backs of a few vampires to get them to move out of the way. She darted between the confused vamps that hollered out in pain. She grabbed her gold skirt as she made her way through the throng and ripped it until the laces holding it came apart. That left her legs bare, but free to move. The filmy white dress was thankfully parted in the center and allowed the dress to flutter behind her as she ran.

She could barely see April fighting in the center of the vampires. A poof of dust let Dawn know she wasn't going down without a fight. Dawn stuck her own stake so far into the back of the vampire in front of her that she created her own whole in the mass. Vampires around her all vamped and turned their attention away from the slayer. Close combat was always Dawn's favorite. It was dangerous, sure, but so was she. She had to learn to fight at close range when a few clans had caught onto her before she could bottle their leader.

She kicked her leg straight up, catching the vampire in front of her under the chin and pushed her stake into the vampire behind her. She turned to her right and punched that vampire in the mouth. He seemed more upset about the blood on his white cravat than the dust she'd already spilt. He growled and lunged for her, but she ducked way down and waited until he was over her before standing and using her legs to toss him into the backs of a few vampires that were waiting for the slayer.

Leaping high, Dawn somersaulted over the vamps now sprawled out on the ground and came to her feet in one fluid move. She made brief eye contact with April and they put their backs together.

"Two slayers?" one vampire said in confusion.

"No," a familiar voice said. Dawn looked over towards the platform where Edric stood, watching. His eyes were narrowed. "Just one slayer and one hunter. The goth is the slayer, the princess the hunter." The room seemed to stand still for a moment. "Kill them," he said with a smile.

Dawn lunged forward quickly, not waiting for the vampires to come to her first. She staked the one nearest to her and looked at Edric.

"Come do it yourself, coward!" she yelled his way. His look of amusement just ate at her as the others around her came forward. She didn't know if they attacked because she killed one or because she called their 'prince' a coward, but attack they did. One vampire backhanded April and sent her flying into Dawn. The hunter had to shove back to keep her footing, but that sent April back towards the vampire. Luckily her reflexes were such that she went stake first into the fiend. Dawn ducked to the side to avoid being kicked by a shinny dress shoe and she grabbed the foot, knowing the other shoe would give no traction on a ball room floor. She tugged hard, making the vampire slip and crack his head before she staked his heart.

When a vampire lunged for April's back while she was busy with a particularly big looking vampire, Dawn used the cross to stop him in his tracks, but because her attention was taken up by saving April the trouble of an added foe to fight, she got tackled to the side, her cross skittered across the floor and well out of her reach.

"Fuck," Dawn said as she kicked her attacker in the face. The vampire that had been going towards April now went towards her and she realized she just brought April's trouble onto herself. If she survived this night, she vowed to never step foot near a slayer again. Reaching quickly between her breasts she grabbed one of her slender stakes and pulled it free. One of the vampires seemed surprised to see her reach down between her breasts, so he became distracted. She went for the other vampire, kicking his legs out from under him, staking him, and then jumping up to her feet. She faced the other vampire but two behind her grabbed both arms. She swung one foot up and kicked the vampire on her right in the face. He let go of her arm and she swung the other vampire to the ground. She was tackled before she could stake him, though and she was knocked to the ground, again. Her headpiece that had barely been hanging on before was knocked off completely, revealing her face to the crowd. If she survived this, she'd have to be in hiding for a while before she'd pass enough to start picking off Ricers. But she knew this was her last chance at attempting a demigod. All of them would hear of this.

She heard a strangled scream from her left and turned to see vampires swarm April. One was on each arm, holding her up, and another vampire was choking her, preparing to turn her own stake into her stomach. A flash of light hit her eyes and she suddenly saw Buffy's stomach wound when a vampire did that exact thing to her. The scene before her came back into focus but all she could see was that her sister was in trouble.

"No!" she screamed as she kicked hard at the vampire that came her direction. She crawled across the floor quickly, getting to her feet in the process and shoved the vampire who was trying to stake her sister away from the slayer. She backhanded one of the captors hard across the face and used the heel of her hand to snap his chin back so far he let the slayer go. April had lost her stake in the tussle, so she reached down for another, giving the vampires a perfect opportunity to ground her, which they did. A heavy hand came down hard on the slayer's back, making her crumble to the ground.

Dawn noticed the slayer fall and tried to make her way back to her again. Vampires swarmed her, pulling at her legs and tripping her. Two jumped on her back and kept her to the ground as the vampire that was over the slayer lifted her by the throat. He smiled at Dawn as she struggled to get free. One of her hands was pulled underneath the weight of the vampires. The vampire laughed as his other hand went to the top of the girl's head and snapped the neck. Dawn could hear the distinct pop even in a ballroom full of vampires.

"Buffy!" she screamed as the vampire drank from his kill.

The whole ballroom quieted at the mention of that slayer. Dawn realized her mistake too late. Now that the slayer's body was thrown in front of Dawn, the blond hair faded from view and April was laid out before her.

She was roughly pulled to her feet and a vampire came forward and punched her in the stomach, hard. Another blow came to her face. He morphed into true form before her.

"Hold her steady, men," he said as he came in for the kill.

A gloved hand landed on the shoulder of the vampire. He looked back revealing Edric.

"No," he said gently. The vampire didn't look happy that Edric had stopped him, but he pulled back anyway. Edric came towards her.

"You knew the Great Slayer," he said with a slight awe to his tone. Dawn said nothing, staring at him. "What was she like?" he asked. Again she said nothing.

"Want us to hold her while you kill her, Prince Edric?" the vampire on her left side asked.

Edric kept his eyes on Dawn and noticed she didn't flinch at the thought of her own death.

"I'm not going to kill her. I'm going to keep her."


	5. Part 04

Title: Between Rest and Sleep (4?)

Author: Lady Jesca

Email: Dawn and the characters surrounding Buffy the Vampire Slayer do not belong to me. They belong to the mind of Joss Whedon. The vampire Edric is my character, though, as is many of the supporting characters of this story. If there is any confusion about what belongs to whom, email me and I'll clarify…:) But I'm not making any dough so please don't try to take my bread!

Rating:

Spoilers: BtVS through Season 5. AtS through Season 2.

Summary:

Author's Notes: The timeline on this story forks into difference after season five of Buffy. That is the last of the canon stuff. But some notes so everyone knows where I am in this: **Buffy died at the end of Season five and never came back.** Willow did not resurrect the Slayer and another wasn't chosen until Faith died. Faith is dead as well, although how may come out in the story. As far as if Spike will get a soul or Angel a son, I don't know. The focus of the story is really on Dawn and doesn't take place in either Sunnydale or LA.

Also, it is circa 2008 (I'm going off the assumption Buffy and gang graduated class of '99 then 2001 was the end of Season 5 when Dawn was 15—if I have the math wrong, let me know…;)). Dawn is about twenty-two years old now. So she's of age for nookie and everything else…;) Her personality is very different from how we know her to be, and why will eventually come out in story, but just so I don't get emails, I do know that her personality is quite non-canon.

This story will most likely be full of angst and darkness. I'm trying to capture the romantic despair of vampires as well as bring something different to the Dawn character.

Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!

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"I'm not going to kill her. I'm going to keep her."

It echoed in her mind for a moment before she realized what it meant. He was going to keep her. Edric's smile was dangerous as he gazed into her eyes for a moment. She held his gaze, faintly wondering what he was trying to see.

"Seems fitting," he said, coming closer. His face was mere inches from hers. "Until now you have belonged to death, probably for many years."

"I'm not afraid of it," she said, her eyes flashing. "I'm not afraid of you."

"No. I believe you are not. You do not fear what I will do to you." He ran his hand over her face. The cold of his hand chilled her as much as the look in his eye did. Though she didn't fear this vampire, she could see he intended to give her reason to. "You do not fear what I will do to you, nor do you fear what my companions will do to you. No hunter walks into a vampire masque with a slayer if they are afraid for their lives."

"I didn't come with her."

"Details that do not matter. My point is still the same." His hand trailed down the front of her dress and to her waist. Grabbing her wrist painfully, he moved behind her, much like he had her the night before, but instead of holding her neck stationary, he slipped the other arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. His strength was evident, so she didn't give him the satisfaction of struggle.

Without him in her line of sight, she saw that vampires were parting in front of them. When the sea of amber eyes scattered, she saw humans. The humans who had come to this party apparently had found the violence a little too real for their liking. They all huddled against the wall, their painted faces now a picture of horror.

"Pretenders," Edric said softly, his mouth not far from her ear. "They've come with the idea that they would receive death and that it would be sensual and spiritual. Now that death has shown its face, they cower."

Dawn wanted to tell him to let them go, but she wasn't sure if he'd see that as a sign that the humans meant something to her and then kill them just to spite her. She hoped that they would be let go, but as each moment passed, doubt obscured that hope. The room was full of hungry vampires feeding off of the fear that even she could sense emanating from the huddled masses.

"A moment ago you applauded the chance to be made," Edric said, addressing the others. "What did you come here for, if not to be food or mates? Or are any of you here to be a hero? Do we have any more hunters among you?" He moved forward and Dawn was pushed along with him. She no longer looked at the other vampires, her attention was taken by scene before her.

Whimpering coupled with the scraping of bodies as they tried to scoot back away from the vampire hoard reached Dawn's ears. She also heard the sniffling of the truly weak, those crying for their souls, wishing they had never come.

"No. There are no hunters here. No heroes."

The vampires nearest to Edric laughed and one kicked the dead body of the slayer, drawing Dawn's attention to her. A cold, hard hand forced her face and attention back to the humans.

"What would you have me do with them, child?"

"What do I care?" Dawn asked. She didn't like the way he called her child. It was almost as if he had determined she was no longer a hunter, as he called her before, and was now some bastardized version of a daughter. Perhaps also it foretold what was to come. Maybe he did not mean child as much as he meant childe.

"Why else would you be here if you did not? I saw you as you headed out the door. I was not going to stop you. But you heard the slayer and ended up beside her, fighting to the death, and for what?" He paused. "What exactly were you hoping to accomplish."

Dawn didn't answer that. There was no answer that would not come back to haunt her and she didn't feel like giving him the satisfaction of knowing her mind.

"Are none of these humans worth your pity? You would not beg for their lives?"

"They knew what they were getting into when they came here," she said, almost addressing the group of humans more than him. "They are damaged. Something inside them made them come here to beg for some blood-sucking fiend to make them a likeminded fiend or to kill them outright. They come here looking for some sort of romance or salvation. They look for a way to die and then they cry when it's come to them." She looked at them with disgust. "This is what happens when you read too much Anita Blake or Anne Rice, you start to think that you could find love with the dead."

She could sense the surprise by not only the humans, many who had started to cry in earnest, but from the vampires nearest to her.

"So you believe their fate should be death?" Edric's voice was hard to read. She could not tell if she surprised him or not.

"No. I think you should let them go. They are not sport. They are not worth your time."

Edric chuckled in her ear. "You are amusing. What makes you think we care about sport?"

"I know you care about sport, or else you wouldn't have let me go in the alley. I couldn't have stopped you then."

"Anymore than you can now," he added. "You are right. I do like a little sport. You are also correct that sniveling humans huddled in a group do not appeal to me. I would let them go." Dawn's struggled to keep a straight face. She had almost thought she had played the disgust too far.

She watched as the vampires moved away from the exit. The humans looked unsure for a moment, but a few survivalists started to go towards the door.

"Of course," he said, louder, "I have what I came for." Dawn's breath hitched. "And I think that we can find a few vampires who aren't as picky about the sport of it all."

Vampires converged on the group and screams echoed in the ballroom. Her head was snapped back and she watched as the vampires closest to the humans fed, while others pushed their way forward, hoping to get a fresh kill, or even a scrap of someone else's kill. She struggled against the vampire that held her, trying to gain some advantage. For once she wished she had a bit of her sister's strength. Perhaps the blood of so many would not be on her this night.

When Edric finally let Dawn go, she slid down to the ground and sat, unable to take her eyes off of the blood bath and horror before her. She took the time, as she sat on the floor of the ballroom to imprint the faces of each person in her mind. These are the lives she would be redeeming herself for. These are the lives she knew she'd be thinking of when she killed vampires from this night forward. If she ever got a chance to hunt again.

Edric moved away from her, almost mocking her with how helpless he now found her. At first he seemed to have been right, because she just sat there, staring at the dead, until her eyes came to rest on April. The deadness of April's staring eyes pulled from Dawn the haze of defeat and slowly she began to assess her situation.

Clumped together on the far side of the ballroom were the bulk of the vampires. They were all giddy from feeding. Dawn eyed them from the corner of her eye, trying to disguise that she was looking at them at all. She didn't want to bring any attention to herself, nor did she want to alert Edric that she was more aware of her surroundings now.

Closer to her was a smaller group of vampires. The elite, she thought to herself with some contempt. Now that they were grouped together, she could clearly see that this was a collection of some of the older vampires still in survival. She took a moment to study them. The keen intelligence in their eyes, their smooth voices, and the air of self-assuredness that surrounded them marked them as different from the vampires on the other side of the ballroom. The celebrating vampires were like children and these quiet and refined vampires were much more like dignitaries. With a start, she realized they probably were just that. Vampires lords from different parts of the world.

"Her invitation had your name on it." The words floated to her and she strained to hear. She eyed the vampire that was being addressed. Marcus, she presumed.

"Well, I've never seen her." He seemed to take the other vampires statement as a challenge, and his eyes flared, going slightly golden.

"Obviously, she's resourceful," Edric said, calming both vampires as everyone agreed. "This one cannot walk the streets again. She's connected somehow to the Great Slayer, and that in and of itself should be enough to concern us all." Slight nods accompanied his statement. Dawn's shoulders slumped.

Damn, she thought to herself as she let her gaze slide back to April. It was hard to be mad at the girl while she lay broken and drained on the floor, but it was also hard for Dawn not to feel real regret at the end of her ability to hunt in the open. These older vampires now new her. They'd be able to recognize her, if she could get free of Edric, and going after them would be suicide. The reason for her deception when she hunted was to make up for the lack of slayer abilities. She was going to have to rethink her strategy.

But first she had to worry about getting out of here alive.

With care, Dawn slid one of her booted feet so that it was under her, giving her the ability to spring up. One hand came down to the floor and was pressed flat against the slick ballroom wood. Her other hand did the same. She had seconds, she figured, to get to the door, and if all else failed, she still had one stake in between her breasts.

"Luther," Edric said, elevating his voice so that it reverberated off of the walls. Without the music, the ballroom was relatively quiet. A vampire came to the bidding of Edric from the larger, rowdier group.

"Yes, Prince," he said reverently.

"Get your crew to clean up this mess. We cannot have it left looking like a crime scene."

"Of course," he said. Dawn knew that was her cue. It sounded as if Edric was wrapping things up. If she didn't try to get out now, she would loose her opportunity to. Her muscles tensed and she gave herself a moment to center herself.

Springing up onto her feet, Dawn suddenly sprinted towards the exit. Vampires stared at her in surprise, and some started coming towards her, but thankfully, she had left most of them back, giving herself a good head start. Reaching between her breasts, she pulled out her remaining stake and lunged it into a vampire that got close enough to her heals to reach for her.

Killing the vampire slowed her down slightly and she could hear others coming for her. Edric's shout that she should be kept alive could be heard above the stampede.

The exit loomed just out of reach, it seemed, and she pushed herself to go faster. Her lungs started to burn with the lack of air from the corset and the run. But she was determined to make it. As she neared the door, a figure stepped inside. It was the large vampire that was checking invitations outside and she swore, sliding to an unstable stop before him.

A breath was all she could get out before he lunged her way. Sidestepping, Dawn slammed her boot into the vamps face. She pushed off of him to get away and waited for him to come again. This time she was able to duck under his arms and bring her stake upwards, into the heart. Dust sprayed her, partially obscuring her view. But when it cleared she saw with dismay that her exit was now blocked by Edric himself.

"You prove to be more and more amusing by the moment," he said as he blue eyes burned into hers. "You will be a fun pet to break."

Her chin came up and her eyes flashed with ire. Taking a few steps towards him, stake still in hand, she must have looked pretty threatening, because a few vampires looked like they were going to interfere. Dawn stopped and eyed them, just as Edric's hand came up to stop them. When she realized that she was going to be allowed to get close to him, she took the few remaining steps, her eyes on his.

He seemed curious as to what she would do, and she found that this curiosity might help save her ass in the future. She stopped in front of him and stood there. His eyebrows came up, in question and she rewarded him by spitting in his face. Shock and mild annoyance crossed his features as a gloved hand came up to wipe the moisture off of his face.

"I am delighted," he said, his tone not matching his words, "that you will make this a challenge." He nodded to someone behind her and Dawn's arm was seized. She struggled and turned to stake the vampire that held her, but a steely cold hand gripped her wrist. The grip was tight and she looked at the vampire who held her. It was Marcus, and she tried to pull her arm away from her, but she couldn't budge it. The strength of this vampire was considerable, as she realized when his already tight hold started to tighten. Her eyes winced in pain, but she pushed her lips together to stifle any cry. A throb could be felt in her wrist as blood was being stopped from going to her hand. The appendage numbed from the lack of blood and she felt her fingers start to go slack. The clatter of her wooden stake was loud in her ears.

"She will not be so difficult for you, Edric," he said silkily, using the vampire's given name. She was pretty sure most vampires used his title, so that his name was used told her that Marcus was closer to Edric than some. "You will have little trouble bringing her to her knees." With that statement, his grip on her wrist tightened and Dawn couldn't help the gasp at the pain. Her whole arm started to throb and pain shot up her arm into her shoulder and back again. She looked at Marcus, finding her eyes blurring slightly.

"I will kill you," she promised as the pain increased and a tear slid down her cheek. She hated that he made her cry in front of the other vampires; in front of Edric. But he merely smiled and twisted her arm upwards, causing pain to erupt from her shoulder. Combined with the continued pain at her writs, Dawn felt her vision go double and her knees buckled. She hit the wood floor with a harsh thump, now kneeling before Edric and the others.

"See?" Marcus said, releasing some of his pressure, but not letting go.

"Dear Marcus," Edric said, his tone seeming almost sad, "you don't break a pet by making her kneel to you out of pain." He stepped forward and took Dawn's arm from the other vampire's grasp, and suddenly feeling rushed into her. Edric let go of her and she sprang back to her feet, backing away until she hit another vampire in the chest. She turned to see that she was fully enclosed in a circle of vampires. She stepped forward, away from the vampire, and rubbed feeling back in her arm.

"If you use pain to push them down, the moment you let up on the pain, they will spring back up, as she did."

"Then don't let up on the pain," Marcus said, his voice harsher than before.

"How unimaginative," Edric said.

"So how, Prince Edric, would you break her?" a vampire dressed in crushed velvet and ruffles asked.

"Well, Geoffrey," he said as he tilted his head at Dawn. "You make her want to kneel to you. You break her spirit and wait until she offers herself to you. Then you remind her of where she came, and how she is now completely yours."

A bark of laughter escaped Dawn. "You will never get that satisfaction. I'd kill myself first," she bit out.

Edric chuckled. "We'll see." With that walked towards her, stopping only after he had pushed her back against he rock hard chest of the vampire she ran into earlier. "You will escort me out to my limo. If you struggle or make a scene in front of the humans outside, I will let Marcus have you for a week." Dawn's eyes flickered over Edric's right shoulder, where Marcus stood, his look dangerous. "I don't think he's very happy about the earlier rebuke, and I don't think he'd be gentle." Dawn's eyes came back to Edric. "Do we understand each other?"

Dawn took a moment to answer. She wasn't afraid of Marcus, but why the hell should she endure a week of pain and torture if she didn't have to, she thought. Besides it wasn't as if he were asking her to kill anyone. He only wanted her to walk outside. After a moment, she nodded.

"Good," he said, giving her a genuine smile. "Now get dressed."

To her left, a vampire held out her discarded clothes. Dawn did the best she could to arrange the hoop skirt and gold skirt around her so that it looked ok. The gold was ripped in places, but with a little fussing you could hardly tell. In the dark of the night, the rips wouldn't be seen.

Pushing her hair under her headdress, Dawn put herself back together, minus all of her stakes. The only weapon she had on her was the dagger in her boot, and it was far too valuable to lose, so she left it were it was. When she was done she looked to Edric and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Take off the mask."

"Why?" Dawn said, preferring the anonymity of the mask.

"Take off the mask," he said again, his voice punctuating each word. Shaking her head a little at the ridiculousness of these details, Dawn undid the mask and threw it at his feet.

"Satisfied?"

"For now," Edirc said, a small smile creeping onto his lips. He walked towards her, holding his arm out to her, like a perfect gentleman. Steeling herself, she slipped her arm through his, and held herself tall. Her eyes flickered over to the dead bodies being gathered up to her right and a frown pulled at her face. She was pulled back from her thoughts as Edric started walking forward, taking her with him.

The night air was cool and sharp against her warm cheeks. Edric stopped at the top of the steps, and she was grateful. Working to focus her eyes, Dawn looked down to the limousine that was parked at the bottom of the steps. It was long and sleek, black with a gray stripe along its side. A driver, probably a vampire, stood at the open door, waiting for Edric.

Dawn descended the stairs with Edric, at his lead. Glancing around to the people swarming to get a better look, she saw Garret staring straight at her. Even from the distance they were at, she could see clearly his hope turning into hatred as she gave him a blank look. His slayer was dead. Now he really was like Giles, she thought.

Dawn's eyes opened when she heard the click of the lock on her door. Closing them again, to appear asleep, she waited for someone to enter, but no one did. Slower this time, she opened her eyes and peered around. No one was in the room with her.

Slowly, she slipped the covers away from her and sat up in the large four-poster bed. For three days now her door had been unlocked only when food was being brought to her. There was no visit from Edric, no harassment from vampires. Those who worked in the estate of Edirc von Lasiter were quite human, at least the ones who brought her food.

Coming to Edric's estate was a lot like stepping into Bram Stoker's wet dream. The castle, and truly it was a castle, was every bit the stone structure and wrought iron gates that she would have imagined. Gargoyles hung off of the edges of the rooftops, peering down with eerie, jeweled eyes. The grounds were full of well kept gardens and sculptures depicting angels and saints, something that was both ironic and predictable to Dawn. Cobblestone made up the driveway of the sweeping structure and she felt like a fool for being in a car when they had approached. It was almost as if the car should have been a horse drawn carriage.

From what she saw of the inside, it mirrored the outside. She was quickly separated from Edric and pushed through large double doors into a great hall before being escorted up the stone steps leading to the higher levels. She went up two flights of stairs before coming to a long hallway. Pictures of people that looked vaguely familiar lined the walls. Many of them were paintings on parchment, although a few looked modern. There was little time to look at the pictures, though, as she was deposited inside her room and the door promptly locked. She had been here ever since.

Her own room housed more furniture than the whole apartment she lived in before. There was a couch with stuffed wing-backed chairs set up at one end of the room while her huge bed was at the other. There was a fireplace with more chairs beside it and rugs thrown around to give some color and protection from the stone floor. The bathroom, she was happy to find, was quite modern, despite not having a shower. Still, a tub would have to do. It was comfortable, but cold, as one would expect a castle to be. There was a fireplace in her room, but she had run out of wood already and the chill of the European winter was taking its toll on her now.

She had also been surprised that first night when her food had come to her, accompanied by the belongings she had locked into the safe at her hotel. A strangely inappropriate thought of reporting the hotel for allowing a vampire to steal her things floated around in her mind as she watched them place the bag on one of the chairs before setting up her food on a table beside her bedroom door. Her surprise grew even more, though, when she found her weapons still in the bag. Either Edric did not think of her as a threat, or he didn't intend to let her out of the room, she had thought to herself. Until now, she had surmised it was the latter.

Coming to sit straight up, Dawn stuffed her feet into her boots and quickly adjusted her jeans over them. She'd been sleeping in her clothes for the past few days, in case something happened. She slept bathed in sun during the day, opening the large windows that faced the morning sun, and stayed awake listening to the sounds of the house by night. When he didn't come to her the first night, Dawn was glad. The second night she was annoyed, and the third night she'd grown restless. What was the point of keeping a pet if you didn't bring them out to play once in a while, she thought bitterly. Not that she wanted to be his pet.

Going to the vanity, Dawn selected a brush and pulled it through her brown mane. It seemed strange for her to have her old hair color back. She hadn't sported this color in seven years. When her hair shown from the brushing, she pulled it back at the nap of her neck so that it wouldn't be in her way and put it under her leather jacket. She'd learned that trick when a particularly playful vampire had captured her hair and used it to control her.

She had no idea how long they traveled to get to where they were. She knew that the limo ride took forever. The silence had been uncomfortable and she sat in the car being scrutinized by Edric and Marcus. Occasionally, they would converse, but for the most part, they stared at her. She alternated between feeling like a Happy Meal and like a pin-up. It put her on edge to not know what was going to happen. So Dawn stared out the window and watched the city become rolling hills and farms.

A jet ride followed up the limousine. Marcus was left behind at the car, and Dawn felt a whole lot more comfortable than she felt she had a right to. It wasn't that Edric was going to be a wonderful experience, but she got the feeling that the real pain would have been given by Marcus.

"You look relieved," Edric said as they walked away from Marcus. Dawn just shrugged. "Pain comes in many different flavors," he said, his voice soft as he guessed at her thoughts.

The inside of the jet was a surprise to Dawn. It was luxurious, containing only a few seats, all window seats, that looked more like recliners than plane furniture. The cab seemed smaller, and she realized that through the door in the back was a bedroom for Edric. When the door was opened so that his luggage could be brought back there, she noted the same white leather and satin decorations that adorned the sitting area. Small splashes of color accented the white, and Dawn was pleasantly surprised not to find any black lace or gaudy red. The only dark color in the whole cab was the black of the windows that were painted black.

Edric buckled into a seat facing hers while the crew took off, but shortly after entering the air and having a night cap, he stood to leave.

"Goodnight," he said simply. Dawn's eyebrows rose.

"And what am I supposed to do?" she asked, moody from lack of sleep and all of the earlier exertion.

Edric stood there, looking down at her until a languid smile crawled across his face. "Are you asking to share my bed?" he asked, his voice a bit deeper than before.

"No." Dawn was firm, leaving no room for interpreting anything other than a deep desire to _not_ spend the night with him.

"Hm," Edric answered. "If you change your mind, my man will let you in," he said, indicating another vampire with the nod of his head.

"That won't happen," Dawn said, her voice dark with displeasure.

"Goodnight," he said, amused this time as he quickly disappeared into the back. The vampire he had indicated was "his man" took up post just in front of the door and he vamped out. Dawn gripped the arm rests of the chair she sat in and quickly looked around for a weapon. There was nothing sharp, pointy, and wooden in the vampires layer in the sky. Go figure, she thought sourly.

After a few moments she realized the vampire was content just to stare at her and he made no move to come near her, even as his amber eyes never left her. Exhaustion tugged at Dawn but she could not sleep with a vampire fully equipped and ready to drain her dry staring right at her. So she spent the night dozing off and coming awake with sharp snaps of her head. Each time, the vampire grinned at her, enjoying his own brand of torture.

The jet landed, where, she wasn't sure. None of the crew felt it necessary to give her the pertinent information about the place they landed. _Thank you for flying Vamp Airlines. You have reached your final destination of Spooksville. If you can see through six coats of industrial strength black paint, you'd see the Spooksville International Airport, where the time here is always midnight. Please watch your step so as not to step on the tales of any of the werewolves on your flight. Keep your possessions close to you until we come to a complete stop. Please continue to observe the No Drinking Blood sign until well inside the Terminal. Then you can drain her dry._

Dawn smiled at her own internal monologue, making the vampire that was staring at her narrow his eyes. He probably thought she was smiling at him, but she didn't care. She was too tired to care.

Edric emerged as the sun was starting to go down. He took a quick look at Dawn's half closed eyes and the stiff way she held herself to stay awake. Glancing at his man, and seeing the vamped out face, he shook his head and quirked a smile.

"Leave her be," he said lightly as he poured something thick and red from a pitcher. Dawn watched Edric, no longer concerned for the vampire who put his human visage back on at Edric's words. After taking a drink from his glass, Edric offered one to her.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Tomato juice," he answered, amused that she was looking at the pitcher as if it were full of blood.

Warily, Dawn stood up and went for the pitcher. She smelled it, the smell of the tomato juice making her stomach rumble. With a weak swallow, she grabbed a glass and poured herself some juice. Edric smiled and went to his seat. A newspaper was brought to him.

"So what shall I call you?" Edric asked her, startling her in mid-drink. He had never asked her name before, she realized.

"Where are we?" she asked, trying to look through the black glass, unsuccessfully.

"France."

"Then you can call me Renee."

He smiled and took another drink of his juice, his eyes tracking her as she found her seat. The paper was opened and he started scanning it.

"You don't look like a Renee."

"And what does a Renee look like?" she shot back, trying hard to fight with herself to ration the juice. She had no idea when she'd eat next. But this was not V8. This was fresh made tomato juice, and it was delicious.

"It doesn't go with Summers," he said, his soft voice floating over the paper to her. Dawn choked on her tomato juice, nearly spitting out the bright red substance all over his pristine white carpet.

"What's that supposed to mean," she said, trying to cover.

The paper folded, revealing Edric's predatory smile. "You know Buffy Summers. How?"

"Buffy Summers is dead," she said, her voice flat and unemotional.

"Yes, she is. How did you know her?"

Dawn's eyes narrowed at how interested this fiend was in her sister. She remembered that he'd called her the Great Slayer. The memory of that vampire saying Edric was interested in making Buffy a slayer also flitted around in her head.

"Not for all the tea in China," she said, sitting back and abandoning her tomato juice.

Edric made an amused sound in his throat. "Breakfast?"

Dawn opened her mouth to tell him to go to hell, but the door from the front of the jet opened and French toast and syrup could be smelled. Sausage patties and fluffy omelets accompanied the steaming toast and she just nodded, her mouth snapping shut. She noticed there was enough for two people, and she watched in mild fascination as a plate was set up in front of him. Then her plate was set up.

"You're eating?" she asked.

"I enjoy food."

"But you don't need it," Dawn said, confused.

"When you are a man of means you can have more than what you need. You can have whatever you want as well," he said, his eyes straying from her face for a moment before he settled into his breakfast.

Although she was starving, she couldn't let that just hang in the air. "Not everything," she challenged. Although it wasn't said loudly, she knew he could hear her. But his paper was in the air again and she was left to enjoy her breakfast. It was delicious and she felt a twinge of guilt at accepting his food. But dying because she refused his food would be idiotic after all that she'd done to stay alive.

After breakfast, when the sun was gone, they had another car ride until they reached his castle, and ever since Dawn had been sitting in her room, going slowly insane. Now was her chance to get out, though, she thought as she made her way to the door, grabbing a stake from her bag as she went. The stake went into the back of her pants before she opened the door.

With more caution than she used to approach the door, Dawn stepped out of it. A quick glance told her that no one was near to her room. Taking a left to go back the way she came up, Dawn slowly made her way to the staircase. A few of the portraits caught her attention, but she didn't spare them much more than a glance before she reached the grand staircase.

Her room was on the third floor, so she traveled down two flights of stairs to get to the first floor. It was buzzing with activity. Vampires and humans alike hurried past the staircase busy with their own errands and duties to perform. No one even spared a look at her.

Since killing his staff would likely bring her a swift punishment, Dawn wisely decided that if they weren't bothering her, she wouldn't bother them. Like bees, she thought to herself. And as she passed by a vampire, rushing towards the kitchen, she watched as he went by, not even glancing her way. Satisfied, Dawn let her shoulders ease a little and she started to look around.

At the bottom of the stairs was a wait room of sorts. It was decorated beautifully with various greenery and dark rich maroon tones accented with gold fixtures. Rugs reflected the color choices and provided a measure of quiet as humans and vampires alike strode through this area wearing heals and dress shoes. More artwork adorned the walls, showing scenes of dark mysterious forests. One captured the haunted forest so well that Dawn knew she could stare at it for hours. It seemed to speak to her, and she took a few steps towards it.

"Renee?" she heard.

The sound of her newest name snapped her out of her trance and she glanced at a vampire dressed in what looked to be an old-world tuxedo.

"The master is waiting for you," he announced, his voice nasal and grating. Her nose wrinkled in distaste.

"He'll keep," she said lightly, continuing to glance around her, getting her bearings.

Long cold fingers closed around her arm and Dawn stiffened up.

"If you want to keep your appendages," she said, looking at him with the hatred she felt for all vampires, "remove them from my arm."

Though he was a vampire, equipped with all that vampires were supposed to acquire, Dawn thought she saw fear pass through his eyes. Apparently Benson here was a kept vampire and not used to the harshness of the world. Dawn was willing to acquaint him and she started a countdown in her mind for when she should strike. When she reached two, the vampire released her.

"This way," he said, trying to cover the moment. After taking a second to straighten her jacket, Dawn followed the vampire through large double doors. It opened up into a wonderfully spacious dining room. The walls were painted maroon, giving the room a darkness that seemed appropriate. Stained glass windows were lit up from outside, giving off strange hues as the light passed through the colored glass. A large, three tiered, crystal chandelier hovered over a dark mahogany table. The sheer decadence almost made Dawn sigh.

Noticing that Alfred was waiting for her, she rolled her eyes and followed him through the hallway to another set of double doors. This opened into a large indoor garden. Above her was a ceiling of glass, allowing her to see the stars. The garden to each side of her was kept back from the cobblestone pathway that she now walked until she emerged into a round stone and marble room. Large white pillars ringed the circular structure and a stone ceiling depicted an exquisite fresco that at first looked to be a replica of The Last Judgment from the Sistine Chapel. But as she stared a little more, the positions nagged at her until she realized she was staring at a mural of a fantastic vampire orgy, where blood and sex were being traded at alarming rates. Her eyes widened and her eyes averted down, falling on a throne that sat directly across from the entrance, where Edric sat watching her.

She stared brazenly at him for a moment, trying to show him that his ceiling pornography didn't bother her. After she was sure she made her point, and because he was grinning at her like a madman, she pulled her eyes from him and finished her assessment of the room.

A few steps from the doorway were stairs that circled around the whole room, giving the center of the floor a sunken look. She descended the three stairs and looked around as she came more towards the center. Around the pillars were plenty of dark spots where others could hide, and this bothered her. But as she caught a glimpse of someone behind the pillars, she stiffened and waited as she saw a servant deliver a try of fruits to a table beside Edric's throne, and then disappear. She realized that the dark spaces were to hide servants, not dangers, and her shoulders eased.

She also noted a smaller throne of sorts. A place that sat empty. If Edric was north then the seat was due east. A smaller table, set up similarly to Edric's sat beside the smaller throne and she wondered at it briefly. The vampire that escorted her in went directly to Edric, bowed, and took a standing place beside him, drawing Dawn's eyes to finally rest on the elder vampire. He didn't seem to be annoyed by the way she put off addressing him, but she hardly cared.

"What do you think?"

"What do you care?" she bantered lightly. The servant vampire stiffened. "I don't think Jeeves likes me much," she said with a conspiratorial tone to Edric and he chuckled and dismissed the stiff vampire. He made eye contact with Dawn as he passed by her, and she stared back, waiting until he left to address Edric again.

"So what is this place?"

"My study," he said. He seemed to take stock of the room and smiled, clearly happy here.

"What do you study?" she asked, shifting from one foot to the other.

"People." His eyebrow raised. "You."

"Swell," she deadpanned and he grinned. "This mine?" she pointed to the mini replica of his throne. He nodded and gestured for her to sit. She went to the chair and sat, the hard stone not at all comfortable. She thought about taking off her jacket and sitting on that, but there didn't seem to be heat in his study, so she kept her jacket on. Instead she sat back and brought her knees up. Her eyes found his again as she took a grape from the fruit platter on her table and munched it.

"So this is how you spend your time?" she asked, already bored. "Staring at humans?" She made a pained face. "I'm starting to miss Marcus."

A quiet laugh escaped Edric and he shook his head as he smiled at her. She couldn't help but give him a slight smile at his honest emotion. "So why am I here, Eddy?" His smile left him at her nickname.

"Edric," he said, his tone broking no defiance. Her smile was genuine now.

"So sorry. So I am here because…" she trailed off, hoping he'd finish the sentence.

"You caught my attention."

"Well, Mr. Obvious, I guess I meant to ask was, now what?"

A deep sigh at her insolence passed through him and she propped one leg over the arm of her stone chair, still trying to find a descent pose that wouldn't kill her tailbone. She grabbed an apple slice and bit into it. It was slightly tangy, treated with lemon juice so as not to turn brown. Nice, she thought, letting the crispy fruit echo crunching noises in her head.

"Now we find out if you fit into my eternity."

"Ah, well, I could already answer that for you, if you want to save some time."

With a flick of his wrist a servant she hadn't even known was there came from around behind her chair and traveled to his. Damn, she thought, sitting up straighter so she could look behind her. A door, discreetly hidden in the darkened area, was nested just behind her seat. Nifty, she thought with a grimace.

Her eyes went to Edric at the sound of liquid pouring. From the consistency and color, she had no doubt that this was not tomato juice. Raise the goblet of blood to his lips, Edric drank, his eyes not leaving hers.

Although it bothered her that he was drinking blood in front of her, she didn't want to let him know she was put off. So she stared back at him, watching as he fed.

"You are like something from out of an Anne Rice novel," she said, eyeing him.

His goblet lowered and he smiled, his lips a faint ruddy color. "Yes, I suppose I am. But then again, so are you," he smiled mischievously.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you are like one of her mortals who are so drawn to the idea of an immortal life that you feel an attraction to vampires and secretly hope, although you will deny it always, that one will remake you and let you see what it is like to be like us."

"That isn't what I want," she said, her voice a whisper that echoed in the strange room. She suddenly didn't like this place at all, and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair again. She didn't want to be a vampire, she wanted to kill them all.

"Ah, but then I already said you would deny it. What is the point of further doing so except to show me that I am right?"

Her eyes narrowed a little, but she said nothing, knowing that doing so was playing into his game. He laughed a little, the sound of it dark and unsettling. She shook her head and let her gaze go upwards as her head came to rest on the back of her chair. The vampire orgy loomed over her and she couldn't help but let her eyes roam the painted mural.

"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" she heard from her left ear and she jumped. She hadn't even seen him stand, much less heard him come around her chair. She shifted so that her face wasn't so close to his and after a moment of watching him look at the mural, she glanced up again. "Full of the mysteries of death and life after that death," he said, his voice low and reverent. "You cannot deny what's in you forever."

"I can deny what's not inside me." Her voice was as soft as if she were in a library. Suddenly it seemed appropriate, given his own soft tones and his proximity.

"It isn't just you. It's in all humans. The need to know what happens after this life is over. And a need to prologue this life from being over. What I can offer you is a sure life after death. Who else but a vampire can offer you a sure thing?" She opened her mouth to speak and he straightened. "Wait." He made his way back to his throne and sat down. "Let me guess. God?" His tone was mocking and it pulled at the tension in Dawn's shoulders.

Narrowing her eyes and she stood up, finally giving up on finding comfort in the chair. She walked to the center of the room and crossed her arms in front of her. "I don't believe in God."

"Really," he said, his voice making him sound almost scandalized.

"Yeah. So if there is a higher power out there I'm screwed and if there isn't, I'm screwed. Either way." She looked unconcerned about the damned if you do and don't situation.

Edric frowned a moment. "Explain."

"Well, if there is a God, then I'm not going to Heaven because I don't believe. And if there isn't a God, I'm not going to Heaven because there is no Heaven."

Edric stared at her for a moment and then started to shake his head. A small smile touched his lips but he didn't look like he was going to share what made him smile. Dawn frowned, finding herself too concerned with what he was thinking.

"What?"

"You. You are highly amusing," he said, making her eyes darken and narrow.

"How so?"

"Child, you believe in God, you're just angry with him."

"I assure you Prince Know-it-all, I do not believe in God." She seemed to fade into her own thoughts at that, and he just seemed to watch her.

"A true non-believer rarely worries about the retribution of a god they are certain does not exist. And you didn't indicate that you weren't certain of a god, you said pretty clearly that you do not believe in God. Not that you didn't believe in a god, but in God himself as if there were a God to believe in, which you choose not to do. So in that you acknowledge there is a god to believe in and that you choose not to. Which would indicate to me that you are upset at him. I might be splitting hairs here, but am I wrong?"

Dawn tried desperately to keep her face schooled. He was sitting there so smug-like and she knew that nothing she could say would answer him like the outburst of anger that threatened to surface. It may have been the restless sleep of the past few days, or the situation she found herself in now that she was the unwilling guest of a master vampire, but she suddenly felt emotion roil up inside her, and she didn't like it. Instead of giving into her royal fit, she raised her chin in the air and turned, deciding she'd seen enough of the castle for today. And although she tried not to think of his words as she closed her bedroom door behind her, she suddenly wished she could feel the weight of her sister's cross on her chest.


End file.
